Normative or Hypocritical? Contradictions Between EU’s External Promotion of Human Rights and Member States’ Policies

The European Union sees itself as a global force for human rights, but there is the perception that its international statements are not always matched by internal policies. This paper seeks to provide a partial explanation of the gap between the EU’s self-perception and its external image, by comparing, from a legal perspective, the EU’s external promotion of human rights and the internal policies of its members. The analysis suggests that EU states’ practice sometimes contradicts the values promoted throughout the rest of the world by the Union. This inconsistency may call into question the EU’s image as a distinctive international actor and jeopardise its effectiveness on the global scene.