Where and why does the EU impose sanctions ?

This article explores whether the EU behaves differently as a sanctioning actor towards its geographic vicinity than to regions further afield. It looks at the security relevance of the objectives advanced by sanctions, as well as the interplay between objectives and the geographic proximity of the targets to the EU in its autonomous sanctions practice (1987-2003). It identifies a pattern of geographic differentiation: Eastern Europe has been targeted for the widest variety of reasons, while in the Southern Mediterranean the only focus has been on terrorism. In Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa most sanctions have been geared towards the promotion of democracy and Human Rights.