The European Union (EU) is the largest economic partner for the former Soviet republics (FSR). All forms of cooperation between the EU and third countries include human rights clauses and in case of severe violations the EU can apply measures including aid suspension, limiting economic cooperation, individual sanctions, etc. Previous research has demonstrated very limited success rate of the actual sanctions, and larger success rate of threat of these. At the same time, conditions under which these can be effective are largely unknown. This paper analyses the effect of EU’s coercive measures on physical integrity rights in the FSR. It addresses the issue of effectiveness of coercive enforcement in the region and conditions under which these may be effective. The paper aims at understanding instruments that can be an effective tool to improve human rights situation, and identify conditions under which coercive enforcement is more likely to be effective. Utilizing time-series cross sectional analysis of 12 states over 20 years, this paper demonstrates that presence of alternative regional powers is a decisive condition for success of the EU’s coercive enforcement measures. Additionally, states that are heavily dependent on foreign aid might also improve practices as a result of the EU’s coercive measures. Whereas, developed economic relations and size of energy resources trade impacts the effect of coercive measures negatively.
