Comment: Spread of Global Norms - the EU Example

A reader's comment to the blog post A Riot of Global Norms:

You raise an extremely relevant question. An interesting example is the European Union, where the consensus-building process may appear painstakingly slow, but once a norm has been adopted by all countries, it applies to 450 Million citizens across the 27 EU countries. In fact, more often than not, EU norms even serve as a reference for other geographical zones. Could this apply to norms in the area of governance? I do not know, but what is clear is that over the years this process has created a specific culture. As much as everyone may grumble against the "Eurocracy", we all follow the rules because we know participating is the best chance we have to get our voice heard.

Robert de Quelen