Europeanization through socialization?

This paper examines the European Union's interaction with civil society organizations in Armenia through the European Neighbourhood Policy as a potential example of normative socialization. Through examining the EU's interaction with domestic NGOs in Armenia, this paper offers an evaluation of the socialization mechanism coupled with a general critique of the EU's democratization policy in relation to civil society promotion. It is argued that while civil society promotion and interaction represents a potentially fruitful avenue for not only democratization but socialization strategies, the EU's utilization of Armenian civil society organizations as a target actor remains too ineffective to generate an environment conducive to the adoption and internalization of EU norms and rules.