IO Chapter 12 Y1S1

1. Regional Integration

The process through which countries in a particular region coordinate or combine their policies, institutions, and rules to pursue shared goals, such as peace, security, and economic prosperity.

2. Supranationalism

A form of governance in which an organization has authority to make decisions or rules that operate above the level of its member states. The EU is the strongest example in this chapter because its institutions can make rules that directly affect member states.

3. Intergovernmentalism

A system in which national governments retain primary decision-making power and cooperate through negotiations with other governments. The AU, ASEAN, and OAS largely follow this model.

4. Delegation of Authority

The process by which sovereign states grant powers to an international organization through treaties. The EU has received unusually extensive authority from its members, allowing its central institutions to make binding rules in many policy areas.

5. Deep vs. Shallow Integration

Deep integration involves states surrendering substantial policy autonomy to common institutions, as in the EU. Shallow integration preserves most national authority, as in the AU and ASEAN. The chapter argues that regional organizations tend toward one of these two extremes.

6. Subsidiarity

The EU principle that decisions should be taken at the national level unless the objectives of a proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by member states and can be better achieved at the EU level. It helps determine which level of government should exercise authority.

7. Single Market (Common Market)

An economic area designed to enable the relatively free movement of goods, services, people, and capital across member states. It requires more than removing tariffs because different national regulations can also obstruct trade.

8. Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs)

Measures other than tariffs that make trade across borders more difficult, such as differing product standards, labeling rules, or national regulations. The EU harmonizes policies to prevent these barriers from undermining its single market.

9. Harmonization of Regulations

The coordination or standardization of national rules across member states. In the EU, harmonization helps prevent differences in domestic policies from fragmenting the common market or unfairly disadvantaging goods and services from other member states.

10. European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

The framework for coordinating monetary policy and establishing the euro as a common currency among participating EU states. It aims to reduce economic frictions caused by differing exchange rates, interest rates, inflation, and fiscal policies.

11. Multi-Speed Integration (Bifurcation)

An arrangement in which some EU members participate in deeper integration while others remain outside particular policies. The euro is an example

12. Bicycle Theory of European Integration

The idea that European integration must continue progressing to avoid stagnation or reversal. The chapter uses this theory to explain the historical tendency toward expanding the EU's membership, authority, and policy responsibilities, while also highlighting resistance to that expansion.

13. Primary EU Legislation

The foundational treaties agreed upon by member states that establish the EU's institutions, define their powers, and set out the obligations of members. Examples include the Treaty of Rome, the Maastricht Treaty, and the Treaty of Lisbon.

14. Secondary EU Legislation

Binding legal acts adopted by EU institutions under the authority granted by the treaties. These include regulations, directives, and decisions, which differ in their legal form and how they apply to member states.

15. Supremacy of EU Law

The principle that EU law takes precedence over conflicting national law in areas governed by EU law. It ensures that member states cannot simply apply contradictory domestic rules to avoid their EU obligations.

16. Direct Effect

The principle that certain provisions of EU law create rights individuals can invoke directly before national courts. This allows citizens to challenge national measures that conflict with applicable EU law and makes domestic courts important mechanisms for enforcing EU rules.

17. Co-decision

A legislative procedure in which the Council of the EU and the European Parliament must both approve legislation in the policy areas covered by the procedure. It combines representation of national governments with representation of EU citizens.

18. Qualified Majority Voting (QMV)

A decision-making system used by the Council of the EU in which decisions can pass without every member state agreeing. It makes collective decisions easier than unanimity, although it can increase political conflict over implementation.

19. Unanimity Rule

A decision-making rule requiring every participating member to agree. In the chapter's discussion of EU foreign and defense policy, unanimity protects national control over vital interests but makes agreement difficult and limits integration.

20. European Commission

The EU's executive institution and administrative bureaucracy. It represents the common EU interest, helps implement EU legislation, and has regulatory powers in many policy areas. It is distinct from the Council, which represents national governments.

21. Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers)

The institution composed of ministers from member-state governments. It makes major policy decisions and develops legislation, often jointly with the European Parliament. Its membership changes according to the policy being discussed.

22. European Council

The institution bringing together EU heads of state or government. It sets broad political direction and helps resolve major conflicts between member governments. It is distinct from both the Council of the EU and the separate Council of Europe.

23. Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)

The EU's judicial institution, which interprets EU law and reviews whether member states and EU institutions are acting consistently with it. Its judgments helped establish the supremacy of EU law.

24. Democratic Accountability in the EU

The principle that EU decision-making should be subject to democratic oversight. The European Parliament's directly elected membership and growing legislative role help address concerns that powerful EU institutions exercise authority without sufficient democratic control.

25. Brexit and Article 50

Brexit refers to the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU. Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union provides the procedure for a member state to notify the EU of its intention to withdraw and negotiate the terms of departure. Brexit illustrates how deeply regional integration can become embedded in domestic law and politics.

26. African Union (AU)

A regional organization established in 2002 to promote African unity, cooperation, and peace while defending member states' sovereignty. Despite its integrationist goals, it remains strongly state-centered, with major decisions controlled by national leaders.

27. Non-intervention and Sovereignty in the AU

The AU generally upholds the sovereign equality of its members, respect for existing borders, and non-interference in domestic affairs. However, Article 4(h) of its Constitutive Act creates an exception by recognizing an AU right to intervene in grave circumstances involving war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

28. AU Peace and Security Council (PSC)

A 15-member body modeled partly on the UN Security Council. It can authorize peace-support missions and has a role in responding to serious conflicts. Its potential authority is limited in practice by the AU's strong commitment to state sovereignty and dependence on member states.

29. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

A regional organization whose members emphasize national sovereignty and government-led cooperation. The chapter presents ASEAN primarily as a forum for negotiations rather than an independent actor capable of imposing substantial common policies.

30. ASEAN Way

A style of regional cooperation emphasizing consultation, consensus, and respect for national sovereignty. It helps preserve unity among diverse governments but can make decisive collective action difficult, especially when members disagree on politically sensitive issues.

31. Flexible Consensus (“10 minus X”)

An approach under which a subset of ASEAN members may move forward with an initiative without requiring every member to participate immediately. It can help overcome deadlock, but it may also increase divisions within the organization.

32. Organization of American States (OAS)

A regional organization that promotes cooperation, peace, security, and democracy in the Americas. Although its Charter establishes broad goals, the OAS has relatively limited independent authority and has been strongly influenced by the interests of the United States.

33. Collective Security

An arrangement in which states commit to respond collectively to aggression against a member. The chapter distinguishes NATO's collective-defense commitment from EU defense integration

34. Institutional Autonomy

The extent to which an international organization can act independently of the governments that created it. The EU has relatively high institutional autonomy because its central institutions exercise substantial legal and regulatory powers. The AU, ASEAN, and OAS generally remain more dependent on member governments.

35. Forum vs. Actor

A forum primarily provides a place for states to negotiate and coordinate, while an actor can exercise independent capacity and influence outcomes. The chapter characterizes ASEAN mainly as a forum, the AU as having some emerging capacity to act, and the EU as a much more autonomous actor.