Elements of Regional Integration: A Multidimensional Approach (Schriften des Zentrum fur Europaische Integrationsforschung (ZEI))

The European Union might be the most prominent example of regional integration, but it is by far not the only one. The importance of regional integration in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and even in the Pacific Islands region is constantly growing. All these regions aspire for more than pure economic cooperation. In addition to intensified economic cooperation, political, legal, and cultural aspects are important factors that form a Mixtum Compositum of regional integration elements. This book discusses these different components of regional integration in a theoretical perspective and a policy-oriented approach. It contributes to comparative regional integration studies through theoretical analysis and case studies from different regions. The book presents the main features of regional integration in an interdisciplinary manner.