REGIONALISM AND THE EU

THEME 1: Economic Hard Power

YES: The EU is a superpower

• 22.52 trillion GDP - accounts for 1/3 world economy

• Luxembourg / Germany higher productivity / hour than USA

• EU single market - trading power for 80 countries VS USA’s 20

NO: The EU is not a superpower

• Balkan investment - 2023 6billion EUROS

• Chinas BRI 1.3 trillion dollars

THEME 2: SOFT POWER

YES the EU is a superpower:

• Democratic Values and Human Rights

  • 2012 Nobel Peace Prize

  • gives out the Sakharov Prize

  • uses the CJEU

• Market attractiveness

  • Single European Market - 450million consumers

  • Common Agricultural Policy & Erasmus

No the EU is not a superpower:

• 2015 Syrian Refugee Crisis (DISUNITY)

• Supranational Nature: use of QMV

• 2009 Greek Debt Crisis - 372 billion

THEME 3: Military Power

Yes the EU is a military superpower:

• 21% Global Defence expenditure

• European Defence Fund & European Defence Industry - Rheinmetal

No the EU is not a military superpower

• Military spending only 136.8 billion

  • USA 858 billion

• USA worldwide presence - 800 bases

• EU’s fragmented force

• 5000 troops rapid defence force

NAFTA & USMCA

SIZE: United States, Mexico, Canada

DEPTH:

• Eliminated tariffs on 99% of goods

• Foreign Direct Investment in Mexico

• 20 trillion regional economy 2026

• Trilateral trade increase

  • 1993: 290 billion - 2016: 1.1 trillion

USMCA replaced NAFTA 2020

THE AFRICAN UNION

SIZE:

• 55 member states

• 1.5 billion represented

• 30 million km²

DEPTH:

• Institutions:

  • African Union HQ

  • Centre of Disease Control

  • Pan-African Parliament - Johannesburg

• Objectives

  • Peace & Security - ATMIS in Somalia

  • Economic Integration - AFCFTA - 2023 81 billion

  • Infrastructure - Great Inga Dam

• Health and Human Rights

  • African Peer Review Mechanism

  • African Court of Human and People’s Rights

  • Health and Social Development - 2026 Theme

INTERGOVERNMENTAL VS SUPRANATIONAL

• Intergovernmental:

  • Article 3 Non Interference Clause

• Supranational:

  • 2004 Peace and Security Council

  • 2004 Constitution created

  • Agenda 2063 - integrated Africa

  • 2005 Ezwulini Consensus - UNSC

THE ARAB LEAGUE

SIZE:

• 22 member states - DISPARITY Sudan 500 UAE 50900

• 492 million people

DEPTH:

• AFTA created 2005

• 1950 Defensive Alliance

• Key Interventions

  • Syria 2011 - Assad

  • Libya 2011 - Gaddafi

• Limitations and Failures

  • Council decisions only binding on those that support them

  • Failed consensus 1991 and 2003 Gulf Wars

  • did not mediate Syrian ceasefire

  • no stability in Gaddafi’s Libya

ASEAN

SIZE:

• 10 member states

• 660 million people

DEPTH:

• RCEP - biggest FTA 30% of world GSP

• ARE / 2015 ASEAN Community

• ‘ASEAN Way’ non-interference clause

• 2012 ASEAN Human Rights Declaration

THE EUROPEAN UNION

SIZE:

• 27 member states

• 450 million people

DEPTH:

• Institutions

  • CJEU

  • European Parliament -720 MEPs

• Shared Legislation

  • Common Agricultural Policy

  • Erasmus

• Lisbon Treaty 2007

INTERGOVERNMENTAL VS SUPRANATIONAL

• QMV

• European Commission empowered

Structure of the European Union

The European Council - INTERGOVERNMENTAL

• Heads of states from the 27 member states

• Legislative authority

• Budgetary authority

• Led by Antonio Costa

The Commission - EXECUTIVE BODY

• Undemocratic

• Ursula Von Der Leyen

The European Parliament

• Democratic

• 720 MEPs from 27 member states

Council of the EU

• 10 specialised configurations

• Rotating Presidency

• Typical use of QMV

  • Foreign policy required unanimity

The European Commission’s Goals

INTEGRATION / EXPANSION / SUPRANATIONALISM

Enlargement Case Studies

TURKEY

• PROS

  • 820 billion economy

  • Expands EU influence into the middle east

• CONS

  • 101 on the corruption index

BALKANS

• PROS

  • 4 billion in loans by 2028

  • solve issues in the Balkans

• CONS

  • Economic drain

  • Montenegro 6 billion GDP - 6.3% agriculture

EASTERN EUROPE 2004 BIG BANG

• PROS

  • Economic Boom - 45% of German GDP

• CONS

  • Hungarian backsliding

IN ORDER to join the EU, a country must meet 50 ascession criteria