(The) Mechanics of Normative Power : Institutional Compatibility and the Modular Diffusion of EU Norms in Trade and Digital Governance

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This dissertation examines how the European Union （EU） projects its legal rules and regulatory standards globally amidst the crisis of multilateralism and intensifying geopolitical competition.
The study conceptualizes a Dual-Engine Logic driven by the EU's “Normative Power” （values） and ＂Market Power＂ （market access）. To reduce ideological friction and resistance to sovereignty interference from partner states, the EU adopts a pragmatic strategy of “Modular Diffusion”—decoupling its complex legal architecture into portable, technical regulatory units （e.g., data privacy and green supply chain standards） for easier external transplantation. The thesis argues that the success or failure of this diffusion depends heavily on the “Institutional Compatibility” of the recipient nation, measured by political alignment, regulatory convergence, and domestic rule of law capacity.
Through process-tracing and text analysis, the empirical core investigates three distinct scenarios: High Compatibility （The EU-Korea Case）: High institutional compatibility facilitated a smooth internalization of EU intellectual property （IP） standards （Geographical Indications） into Korean law. Furthermore, the activation of the FTA's sustainable development mechanism acted as an external anchor, catalyzing landmark domestic labor reforms and the ratification of core ILO conventions in Korea. Low Compatibility （The EU-Mercosur Case）: In contrast, negotiations with Mercosur highlight structural failure zones. Divergent economic models—where resource-dependent economies resist rigid EU environmental mandates—combined with political volatility, have stalled norm diffusion and forced the EU into realist, geopolitical compromises. The Digital Frontier: In the midst of US-China algorithmic competition, partners like Singapore, Japan, and Korea demonstrate how digital rules are highly susceptible to modularization. This accelerates the “Brussels Effect” via technical lock-ins embedded directly into code, while showcasing the EU's flexibility in navigating regional frameworks like the CPTPP and DEPA.
Ultimately, this dissertation shifts the benchmark of evaluating EU power from holistic emulation to a dynamic, fragmented competition for global rule-making. It provides strategic guidance for external partners on how to balance domestic economic interests with the institutional expectations of a more geopolitical European regulatory sphere.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Chapter 1. Introduction 1
• Section 1. Research Background and Purpose 1
• 1.Research Background 1
• 2. Research Purpose 5
• Section 2. Literature Review 11
• 1. The Theoretical Evolution of NPE 11
• 2. NPE Practices in Different Dimensions 14
• 3.The current research frontier 18
• 4. Research Gaps and Theoretical Contributions 19
• Section 3. Theoretical Framework and Methodology 21
• 1. Theoretical Framework 21
• 2. Methodology 25
• Chapter 2. The Logic of EU Power Projection: The Interaction of MPE, NPE, and the Brussels Effect in a Modular Framework 28
• Section1. The Conceptual Foundation: Normative Power Europe （NPE） 28
• 1. The concept of NPE 28
• 2. Key Mechanisms of NPE 31
• Section 2. The Dual-Engine Logic: The Strategic Convergence of NPE and MPE 35
• 1.The Dilemma of Pure NPEs 35
• 2.The Evolution of MPE Theory 40
• Section 3. Modular Diffusion: The Operational Mechanism of the Dual-Engine Framework 47
• 1. The shift from multilateralism to bilateralism and regionalism 47
• 2. The logic behind modular diffusion 52
• Section 4. Dual‑Engine framework of the mechanism 59
• Chapter3. Normative Power Expansion through Traditional FTAs: A Perspective on Institutional Compatibility 61
• Section 1. Analytical Framework: Conceptualizing and Measuring Institutional Compatibility 61
• 1. Case Selection Analysis 61
• 2. Analytical Framework: Conceptualizing and Measuring Institutional Compatibility 64
• Section2. EU-Korea FTA: High Compatibility Case Analysis 71
• 1.Geographical Indications: TRIPS-Plus Legal Transplantation 71
• 2.Labor Dispute Resolution and Reform under the TSD Chapter in Korea 82
• 3.Process- Tracing Analysis 90
• Section 3. EU-Mercosur FTA: Low Compatibility Case Analysis 96
• 1. NPE amid Geoeconomic Pressures 96
• 2.Challenges in the Implementation of Trade and Sustainable Development Provisions 102
• 3. Process-Tracing Analysis 106
• Section4. Discussion of Empirical Findings 110
• Chapter 4. EU Digital Trade Agreements: Norm Convergence in Emerging Digital Domain （DTA New Frontier） 113
• Section 1. Normative Power Expansion in Digital Trade Governance: The EU “Third Way” and the Logic of Modular Diffusion 113
• 1.Digital Trade as the New Frontier of Normative Proliferation 113
• 2.The “Third Way”: The EU’s Strategic Choice amidst US-China Digital Competition 117
• 3.The field of digital trade is a successful example of modular diffusion in the EU. 122
• Section 2. Digital Trade Cases Analysis 126
• 1. Case Selection analysis 126
• 2. EU-Singapore digital trade case analysis 127
• 3. EU-Korea digital trade case analysis 130
• 4.EU-Japan digital trade case analysis 133
• Section 3. The Variable Replicability of the EU’s Digital Trade Model: Institutional Compatibility and Strategic Flexibility 137
• 1.Countries with “high regulatory standards, GDPR-compliant frameworks and open data flows” are easier to implement and promote 138
• 2.Countries with high standard of “data sovereignty and data security” are difficult to implement and promote 139
• Section 4. Process-Tracing Analysis of Digital Trade Cases 141
• 1.EU-Singapore digital trade case 141
• 2.EU-Korea digital trade case 144
• 3.EU-Japan digital trade case 146
• Chapter 5. Evolution of Normative Power: The Modular Transformation of EU Trade in Times of Crisis 150
• Section1. The Identity Crisis of NPE and Strategic Reflection 150
• 1.The Dual Crisis of EU Normative Power and Market Power 150
• 2. From Idealism to Pragmatic Adjustment 159
• Section 2. Practical Path of Open Strategic Autonomy: The Strategic Rise of Modular Regulation Diffusion 163
• 1. Open Strategic Autonomy and the Instrumentalization of Trade Rules 164
• 2. The EU's Future Modular Cooperation in FTA 167
• Section 3 From Parallel Tracks to Connected Regimes: Linking EU Free Trade Agreements with CPTPP and DEPA. 172
• 1. Possibility of Linking EU FTA with CPTPP 172
• 2. Possibility of Linking EU FTA with DEPA 179
• Chapter 6. Conclusion 186
• Section1. Contributions and Theoretical Implications 186
• Section2. Theoretical Reflexivity and Research Limitations 189
• Bibliography 193