Regions Up and Down; (re)Defining the Nature and Effects of the European Union Regional Agency

Abstract

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1. For a recent all-encompassing exploration of new theoretical insights that regional phenomena bring into IR theory, see Paul (2012 Paul, T.V., ed. 2012. International Relations Theory and Regional Transformation, Cambridge etc: Cambridge University Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). 2. Regionness in terms of cohesiveness of regions is well developed by the New Regionalism Approach as the levels of regionness (Hettne and Söderbaum 1998 Hettne, B. and Söderbaum, F. 1998. The New Regionalism Approach. Politeia, 17(3): 6–21. [Google Scholar]). 3. Söderbaum and van Langenhove (2005) refer to these two types as ‘pure’ and ‘hybrid’ interregionalism which are concepts of Aggarwall and Fogarty’s origin. 4. Bretherton and Vogler (2006 Bretherton, C. and Vogler, J. 2006. The European Union as a Global Actor, London and New York: Routledge. [Google Scholar]) distinguish between inclusive European identities (EU as civilian power, as normative power and as a particular political community) and EU’s exclusive presence as Fortress Europe. 5. It would be interesting to have added Slovenia as a case into the group, as it had no pre-1992 independent individual state-structure nor was it a part of Soviet rule. Actually, 1974 redefined constitution of Yugoslavia allowed it (as to all Yugoslav Socialist Republics) to conduct external (economic) relations (eg. with southern Bundesländer), which were crucial in the process of state-recognition and remain of high economic importance until today. 6. Some of these elements are: a) emulation of former three EU ‘pillars’, b) strong resemblance of the composition and working of ASEAN Summit and its Chairmanship to the European Council, and its Presidency, and c) attribution of more powers for the Secretariat (which may be looking like a nascent European Commission) (Ibid.) 7. More encompassing empirical aspects of EU-interregional relations are available in Telò (2007 Telò, M. 2007. Europe: a civilian power? European Union, global governance, world order, Basingstoke, New York: Palgrave Macmillan). [Google Scholar], Ch. 2).