Civil Society and European Integration

Abstract

Nowadays, various processes, events, and changes are discussed under the heading of regional integration. Examples of regional integration include the European Union (EU). States increasingly deal with international interdependence through international policy coordination and integration. Joint decision making can be one way to deal with the negative externalities of interdependence. This article looks mainly at European integration. The question is whether European integration, an example of deep integration, has lessons for other integration schemes. Such lessons, if they exist, could possibly help policymakers in other parts of the world plan their efforts better and maybe avoid some mistakes. Even if many scholars have stressed that European integration is sui generis, it is the assumption of this article that lessons can be learned and that integration in different parts of the world can be compared.