Project R-16110

EU Value-Based Peacemaking and International Mediation: Strange Bedfellows? (Research)

The doctoral dissertation analyses the European Union's (EU) distinctive value-based approach to mediation in the international sphere, stemming from its normative turn. It evaluates the extent to which this divergent approach is (in)compatible with the established global mediation framework - particularly that of the United Nations -, both in terms of the mediator's guiding principles and the mediation process, and assesses how the resulting tension can be reconciled to enhance the EU's peacemaking efforts. The research traces the (historical) development of international peace mediation from both global and European perspectives with a particular focus on the key characteristics of the EU as an international mediator and the Union's values and interests - reflecting its identity as a normative power - that shape its mediation practices. Further, the dissertation investigates whether the EU's mediation framework, although formally soft law, is undergoing a process of gradual legalisation with potential implications for accountability and compliance. While the EU increasingly presents itself as a normative mediator grounded in the foundational values of the Union, enshrined in articles 2 and 21 of the TEU, its operational principles diverge in key respects from the UN Guidance for Effective Mediation — most notably regarding impartiality, neutrality and national ownership. The dissertation examines why and how the EU's approach to mediation aligns with or diverges from international mediation standards and discusses how the EU is constructing its normative identity in its discourse on peace mediation. Drawing on doctrinal analysis, comparative legal method, and Critical Discourse Analysis, informed by TWAIL and Critical Legal Scholarship, the research identifies whether these divergences reveal a deeper tendency that resembles a modern form of the civilising mission and the extent to which EU mediation practices risk exporting a Eurocentric model, potentially challenging conflicting parties' autonomy and diminishing the EU's credibility as mediator. Ultimately the study seeks to articulate how the EU might reconcile its normative ambitions with international standards to strengthen its legitimacy, ensure coherence with foundational mediation principles, and enhance its practical effectiveness in peace mediation.

16 September 2025 - 15 September 2029