Theme

Regional integration

Regional integration refers to a process where neighboring states agree to intensify their cooperation through common rules and common institutions. While the European integration process with the European Union (EU) is by far the most extensive example of regional integration, similar processes has been launched both in Africa (African Union), Asia (ASEAN).

Regional integration can be organized either via supranational institutional structures or through intergovernmental decision-making, or a combination of both.

Regional integration often starts with a removal of barriers to free trade in the region, increasing the free movement of people, labour, goods, and capital across national borders, reducing the possibility of regional armed conflict and adopting cohesive regional stances on policy issues, such as the environment, climate change and migration.

Regional integration in Europe is by far the most extensive integration process. It started out as a peace project after the end of the second world war (in the 1950s) and was consolidated with the Treaty on the European Union (the Maastricht Treaty), which came into force in November 1993 and established the European Union. Since then it has continued to develop and to adapt to a changing geopolitical and intra-European context.

Examples of NUPI's research areas on regional integration includes:

The European Union (the EU) and EEA
The African Union
Nordic cooperation
Regional integration in Asia and Eurasia (ASEAN and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU))

News about regional integration

Rethinking differentiated integration
17 Sep 2019
- - Øyvind Svendsen
Several NUPI researchers contributed to the debate about differentiated integration in the area of security and defence at the annual conference of the European International Studies Association (EISA) in Sofia, Bulgaria last week.

The EU Regional integrasjon Security policy Defence Europe
New CADGAT Data Reviews on 261 Belt and Road (BRI) Projects in Central Asia
28 Aug 2019
- - Roman Vakulchuk
One of the main observations from the research is that nobody really knows what a BRI project is and what it is not.

Russia and Eurasia Asia Styring Regional integrasjon Economic growth Internasjonale investeringer Utenrikspolitikk

Publications about regional integration

Publication : Academic article
Free trade agreements in a small, open country: The case of Norway
2019
- - Hege Medin
Negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) has been a high political priority for Norway. Today it has agreements with 41 countries outside the European Union (EU) / the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), resulting one the world’s most extensive FTA networks. FTAs cover about 10% of Norway’s trade...
International economics Trade Internasjonale investeringer Globalisering Regional integrasjon Utenrikspolitikk
Publication
Mind the Gap: National Views of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific
2019
- - Wrenn Yennie Lindgren
Japan has played an intrinsic role in formulating and promoting the concept of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) by making its version a core element of its foreign policy repertoire as it continues to strengthen and expand its presence beyond its immediate neighborhood. This chapter discusses the...
Asia North America Security policy Hav Regional integrasjon Diplomacy Utenrikspolitikk Trade Economic growth Climate
Publication : NUPI Policy Brief
The Civilian Casualty Tracking Analysis and Response Cell in the African Union Mission in Somalia: an emerging best practice for AU peace support o...
2019
- - Natasja Rupesinghe
The Civilian Casualty Tracking Analysis and Response Cell (CCTARC) tracks harm to civilians caused by the African Union Mission in Somalia’s (AMISOM) operations including death, injury, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and damage to property including livestock. The cell faces three main types of...
Peace operations Africa International organizations