Regionalism and Sub-regionalism in the Caribbean: Challenges and Prospects - Any Insights from Europe? Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Paper Series Vol. 11, No. 4, September 2011 (original) (raw)
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2011
These monographic papers analyze ongoing developments within the European Union as well as recent trends which influence the EU's relationship with the rest of the world. Broad themes include, but are not limited to: EU Enlargement The Evolution of the Constitutional Process The EU as a Global Player Comparative Regionalisms The TransAtlantic Agenda EU-Latin American Relations Economic issues Governance The EU and its Citizens EU Law As the process of European integration evolves further, the Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Papers is intended to provide current analyses on a wide range of issues relevant to the EU. The overall purpose of the monographic papers is to contribute to a better understanding of the unique nature of the EU and the significance of its role in the world. ABSTRACT This paper examines the complexities of regional integration in the developing world and the internal and external forces that shape regional and sub-regional groupings. The main ...
2011
This paper examines the complexities of regional integration in the developing world and the internal and external forces which shape regional and sub-regional groupings. The main contention is, moments of uncertainty and stagnation at the regional level act as an incentive for deeper sub-regionalism. The paper argues further, given that the European Union (EU) is the most advanced regional project, despite its contradictions, it has emerged as a benchmark to be emulated by other regional schemes. The paper explores the challenges and prospects within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the sub-regional Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and compares the extent to which the EU model has influenced regional integration in the Caribbean.
EU-Latin America and Caribbean Inter-regional relations: complexity and change
This paper analyses regionalism in Latin America and the Caribbean and interregionalism between this region and the European Union. The complexities and overlapping of Latin American regionalisms are reflected in the several interregional mechanisms that the European Union has with Latin American and Caribbean countries and regional organisations. The paper argues that different political and economic interests in Latin America and the Caribbean have given rise to overlapping regionalist projects, where the overlapping of competences is more problematic than that of membership. Also, Latin American and Caribbean regionalisms have constantly evolved in terms of strategies and organisations. This has generated a number of interregional institutionalized mechanisms between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean, but the current structure seems in need for reform.
EU and Caribbean: Towards the Reconfiguration of the Inter-Regional Landscape
EU AND LATIN AMERICA A STRONGER PARTNERSHIP, edited by Antonella Mori, 2019
Despite a stop-and-go policy, over the past twenty years the European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean Region have joined forces to scale-up their partnership. Today, the time seems ripe for the EU to give new impetus to bi-regional relations as the US interest in the region appears to be decreasing, and China quickly steps in. The near future will indicate whether the political will to bolster relations between the EU and the region is actually stronger than before: how will the agreements between the EU and Mexico, Chile, and the Caribbean be updated? Will the EU-MERCOSUR Association Agreement be completed? If so, the EU will be able to enact free trade agreements with all the countries in the region, except Bolivia, Venezuela, and Cuba. The latter is already involved in its first-ever negotiation with the EU to strengthen bilateral cooperation. This volume provides an overview and wide-ranging analyses on the ongoing negotiations, viable options, and possible results.
2004
These monographic papers address issues relevant to the ongoing European Convention which concluded in the Summer of 2003. The purpose of this Convention was to submit proposals for a new framework and process of restructuring the European Union. While the European Union has been successful in many areas of integration for over fifty years, the European Union must take more modern challenges and concerns into consideration in an effort to continue to meet its objectives at home and abroad. The main issues of this Convention were Europe's role in the international community, the concerns of the European citizens, and the impending enlargement process. In order for efficiency and progress to prevail, the institutions and decision-making processes must be revamped without jeopardizing the founding principles of this organization. As the member states negotiate the details of the draft constitutional treaty, the Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Papers will attempt to provide not only concrete information on current Convention issues but also analyze various aspects of and actors involved in this unprecedented event.
Why should the European Union have any relevance for Latin America and the Caribbean?
Why should the European Union have any relevance for Latin America and the Caribbean?, 2019
Based on a historical relationship of shared values, continuous political links and reciprocal migratory flows, the European Union (EU) is now emerging as a strategic partner for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) on the international global stage. Although both regions display marked differences and do not present themselves as homogeneous players, in respect of the array of protectionist, revisionist, illiberal, isolationist and unilateral tendencies, and the tectonic changes in the geo-economic and geo-political processes of the current global scenario promoted by the relevant players in the international system, the convergences between both regions on various matters related to the global agenda and to their own dynamics present a range of opportunities to develop a bi-regional focus and deepen inter-regionalism between the EU and LAC. The European Union together with Latin America and the Caribbean contain a total of 61 countries which, acting in a coordinated manner in the United Nations and other forums such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the G-20, among others, could contribute to the reform, consolidation or deepening of the multilateral system currently being challenged by various players. This requires renewing, updating and deepening existing relationships – which up to now have mainly been perceived as concentrated in trade exchanges and North-South cooperation – bringing to light and developing other areas of cooperation that open up strategic alliances of various kinds and boosting a new agenda of mutual opportunities, visibility and impact, bearing in mind, however, the heterogeneity within both blocks. With this in mind, this study presents, from various different angles, the challenges of transforming the bi-regional agenda into an agenda of global inter-regionalism which can meet the great challenges and priority objectives of the international agenda, from a multilateral point of view and taking account of the various levels of interaction and interconnection. From the perspective of shared values, problems and solutions, this study offers an innovative examination of these relationships, identifying challenges that may contribute to the construction of a common agenda of mutual benefit, in line with the global multilateral agenda, based on studies and in-depth analysis by researchers in both regions. his study – involving joint collaboration between research centres of the EU and of LAC - has been developed by a consortium of three institutions: the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) in Germany, the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) in Spain, and the Regional Coordination for Economic and Social Research (CRIES) in Latin America and the Caribbean, based in Panama and Buenos Aires, coordinated by this latter institution, and with the participation of researchers from other institutions in both regions. This particular study has focussed its efforts on answering the question “Why should the European Union have any relevance for Latin America and the Caribbean?” by starting from existing relationships and their future potential. This question requires a bi-regional effort in tackling the problems and potential common responses to contemporary transformations caused by globalisation, global governance and the international order with the emphasis on five specific areas: economy and finance; security and defence; sustainable development and climate change; science and technology; and human rights, refugees and migration, – in response to a call from the EU-LAC Foundation. The collaboration between the aforementioned institutions is a concrete demonstration of the potential for constructing convergences and ways of cooperating between both regions which will open up opportunities to develop joint initiatives in a complex international environment that is itself in transition. The study has also benefited from the results of the 2018 Forum for Reflection “Why should the EU have any relevance for Latin America and the Caribbean? And why should LAC have any relevance for the EU”, organised by the EU-LAC Foundation and held at the College of Europe in Bruges on 20 and 21 May 2018. It also had the benefit of the debates at the seminar “The EU-CELAC agenda in times of global interregionalism. A view from Academia”, which was held in Barcelona on 23 May 2018, organised by CIDOB in collaboration with the University of Havana and co-financed by the EU-LAC Foundation, with over thirty experts from both regions participating. We are therefore grateful to the EU-LAC Foundation for their support in the production of this study; to all members of the team who have prepared their respective sections and contributed to the general revision of the study, the production of prospective scenarios and conclusions and to interviews carried out with various specialists; to the interviewees for giving so generously of their time and for their contributions, and to the support team from CRIES made up of Celeste Ronzano, Carolina Zaccato and Constanza Boettger who contributed to the revision and logistics which enabled this study to be produced.