Brussels effect

proper noun

The process of unilateral regulatory globalisation caused by the European Union de facto (but not necessarily de jure) externalizing its laws outside its borders through market mechanisms.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Brussels effect
  1. governmentThe process of unilateral regulatory globalisation caused by the European Union de facto (but not necessarily de jure) externalizing its laws outside its borders through market mechanisms.

Origin

Coined by Finnish-American legal scholar Anu Bradford in 2012, named after the California effect.

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Cite this entry
APA

Brussels effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Brussels%20effect

MLA

“Brussels effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Brussels%20effect. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Brussels effect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Brussels%20effect.

Source: Brussels effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.