Rational and Normative Foundations of European Union-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement

This study analyzes the rational and normative dimensions of the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed between the European Union (EU) and Japan in 2018. The parties characterize their bilateral relations by emphasizing the adherence to shared principles and values; and their interests. This study explores how the interests and norms are reflected in political practice by analyzing their weight in the agreement. The method applied is content analysis via a theory-driven coding approach. The codes are defined under the categories of interest and norm derived from neoliberal institutionalism and social constructivism approaches within international cooperation literature. The analysis reveals that the EU-Japan strategic partnership's rational basis is stronger and that bilateral relations and common interests have priority over shared values.