Normative embedding in economic diplomacy: sustainability and human rights in European economic statecraft

Abstract

Economic diplomacy has traditionally been associated with trade promotion, investment attraction, and the pursuit of national economic advantage. In recent years, however, sustainability and human rights have become increasingly visible within the strategic language of economic statecraft. This article asks whether these commitments function as concrete criteria shaping contemporary economic diplomacy or whether they remain largely declaratory elements of policy discourse.

The study is based on a qualitative comparison of strategic documents adopted by the European Union, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. It introduces a distinction between normative embedding, where sustainability and human rights are linked to specific policy instruments such as trade clauses, due diligence obligations, or investment screening mechanisms, and normative branding, where such commitments operate primarily at the level of narrative.

The analysis suggests that sustainability has achieved a relatively high degree of institutionalisation, particularly at the European Union level. Human rights commitments are increasingly present, especially through supply chain due diligence initiatives, although their operational integration remains uneven. Overall, the findings indicate a gradual but meaningful reorientation of European economic diplomacy, in which competitiveness and legitimacy are increasingly articulated through sustainability and accountability considerations.