Civilizational structure of regional integration organizations

The paper advances a new comprehensive complex approach to the investigation of the civilizational aspects in the development of regional associations of countries. The research starts with the overview of historical dimensions of the civilizational approach and the contribution of the founding scholars to its development. It continues with the analysis of the scientific and methodological input of the followers and the critics of this approach. The authors suggest their theoretical approach to the identification of the modern local civilizations according to six parameters: natural, biological, technical, economic, social, and governing. The civilizational affiliation of countries and the civilizational structure of major 17 regional associations of countries are identified. The results demonstrate that some regional groups have been more homogeneous in terms of civilizational composition, others – less homogeneous, which does not interfere with their dynamic development. However, the logic of the historical dynamics of human development indicates the inevitability of changing the current situation through prolonged civilizational conflicts resulting in significant changes in the global social dynamics and the civilizational structure of the world and of regional associations of countries. The identification of the civilization structure of countries and regional associations contributes to the rational decision-making in the areas of international economic relations and to the formation of the integration/disintegration policies on the national and regional levels. It is predicted that from 2030 global social dynamics will undergo a fundamental breakthrough that will radically change the civilizational structure of the world and regional unions of countries. Methods. The research is based on the application of the systemic and historical approach, combined with the methods of analysis, synthesis, analogy, abstraction, generalization and method of individual expert assessment. Novelty of the research. The authors have identified the civilizational structure of countries using statistically available criteria for the six groups of factors, which allows to determine the homogeneity level of the major regional groups of countries. Practical significance. Identification of civilization structure of countries and regional associations creates the opportunity for adjusting national and subregional integration and disintegration policies. The aim of the study is to determine the civilizational structure of the regional associations of countries. To achieve this goal the following tasks are set and solved: –to analyze and optimize the existing approaches to the identification of local civilizations; –to identify the current state of the countries’ belonging to this or that civilization, their civilizational structure; –to reveal the civilizational structure of the major regional blocs

Lessons from the Andean Community Integration. Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Paper Series. Vol. 6, No. 12 June 2006

[From the Introduction]. Ever since it was born in the sixties, the Andean Regional Integration Process has attempted to become a strategy to promote a harmonious and balanced development among the Andean Countries. This paper has tree mains goals: (a) To explain and analyse the theoretical concept of the Andean New Regionalism in the framework of Latin American region in a comparative perspective with the European Model of Regional Integration; (b) To show the coexistence of two different regional integration models. Where the dominating one during the sixties was known as old regionalism, and the other that is currently being used is known as new regionalism, and (c) To analyse the way in which this coexistence appears to be an obstacle for the Andean countries to define their regional integration model and to advance toward their main goal: the balanced and harmonious development of each and every country member

Regional integration, old and new

After lying dormant for two decades, regional integration is on the rise. Recent initiatives suggest that the world trading system may be moving toward three trading blocs clustered around Japan, the European Community, and the United States. Some view this development as a move toward a less fragmented world trading system; others, as a threat to multilateralism. For a typical developing country, the issue is whether to enter into a regional integration arrangement or to choose unilateral trade liberalization. Two questions must be asked: Is a preferential approach likely to enhance economic efficiency? And are substantial benefits attainable more easily through regionalism or through unilateral trade liberalization? The authors address these issues first by reviewing past and recent regional integration arrangements. They note that recent arrangements are occurring in a more liberal trading environment than those in the past, and that developing countries are now seeking integration with developed country partners (for example, Mexico and the United States). So the context is different from past arrangements, when regional integration was viewed as an extension of import-substitution industrialization at the regional level. In a discussion of the welfare economics of preferential trading arrangements, they show that a preferential approach to trade liberalization may not increase welfare. For a small country, unilateral trade liberalization will be superior to a preferential approach unless the world divides into trading blocs with mutually high barriers - in which case, a preferential approach ensures market access. In a discussion of the welfare economics of trading blocs, they note that the move to a few trading blocs may make a cooperative solution more likely - at the same time increasing the rewards of noncooperative behavior if bargaining fails. With an empirical evaluation, the authors show that - after controlling for differences in investment - countries that integrated grew no faster than their comparator group. But human capital contributes significantly to growth, suggesting benefits from regional integration arrangements that emphasize cooperation. And there is evidence of catch-up, suggesting benefits for the least-developed members of the new wave of arrangements that emphasize North-South membership. In short, regional integration arrangements are more likely to be a stepping stone toward a freer world trading system if GATT rules are strengthened, and if developing countries enter into arrangements with developed rather than other developing countries.TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT,Trade and Regional Integration,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Trade Policy

A New Multi-Dimensional Framework for Analyzing Regional Integration: Regional Integration Evaluation (RIE) Methodology

Theories of regional integration typically analyze the regional integration process from the perspective of a single discipline, usually economics. However, such one-dimensional analytical frameworks cannot fully capture the richness and complexity of the inherently multi-dimensional regional integration process. To address the problem, we propose the regional integration evaluation (RIE) methodology which is based on four dimensions of development – economic, political, social and technological. The central idea behind the RIE methodology is that regional development promotes regional integration. Our RIE methodology differs from the existing literature in that it is based on a more comprehensive definition of development than just economic development. Our definition of a region's development incorporates the development levels of all regional countries as well as differences in development levels among regional countries. We apply the RIE methodology to assess the regional development and hence integration prospects of NAFTA, ASEAN, MERCOSUR and EU.Economic integration; economic modeling; NAFTA; ASEAN; MERCOSUR; EU

Regional integration APEC style: are there lessons to learn from regional integration EU style?

The paper discusses similarities and differences between past EU binding internal liberalization „across the board“ in the industrial sector and present so-called voluntary sectoral liberalization of member states of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). While both approaches are second-best compared to unconcerted unilateral liberalization, the major disadvantage of liberalization APEC style in the industrial sector consists in introducing distortions between sectors as well as between member states due to rising disparities in timing liberalization within Asia Pacific. Such disparities raise problems of time consistency of liberalization under the so-called Bogor target of achieving free trade within APEC in 2010 (2020 for less advanced member states). Reliance on „peer pressure“ as the only mechanism to commit member states to liberalization is seen as a weak driving force to make APEC’s concerted unilateralism a stepping stone for the successor round of the Uruguay Round. The paper proposes a number of measures successfully applied in the EU to give APEC’s liberalization more „teeth“ to the benefit of multilateral liberalization.regional integration,trade liberalization,open regionalism,multilateral trade negotiations

African Regional Integration: Implications for Food Security

This report looks at the African regional trade, regional integration agreements (RIAs) and the implications for food security. An overview is presented on the present state of African regional integration and the determinants of regional trade in agriculture and food commodities. In particular the study focuses on eight target countries, related RIAs and a set of strategic food commodities. The evidence presented in this study shows that African countries have made progress in opening up agriculture and food trade with partner countries. With, the exception of Ghana, Tanzania and Mozambique, the effective applied tariff rates for regional trade partners are substantially lower than the (MFN) rates applied to world trade partners. Nonetheless, regional trade in agriculture and food only increased marginally between 1990 and 2009, and is relatively low in comparison with other developing regions. The weak state of soft and hard infrastructure, rather than high trade tariffs, seem to be the cause of thi