Invitation

Competing or Complementary? Multiple and overlapping integration and cooperation schemes within regions

In many regions around the world there are more than just one scheme of integration or cooperation at work. In Europe there are still both the European Union and EFTA; in Africa the African Union is the over-all frame, but this does not prevent some North African states from being members of the Arab League at the same time; in the Arab region one finds the Arab League and its Greater Arab Free Trade Area, but some Arab countries work actively for gaining access to the EU Internal Market and adapting to its regulations. There is also the Gulf Cooperation Council. Karl Deutsch wrote back in 1957 that if one wanted an integration project to be successful one had to eliminate rival plans. We do not claim from the outset that Deutsch was right, but we take his remark as a hint: Are overlapping or multiple integration and cooperation schemes compatible? Or are they competing? We want to make these questions the theme of the next workshop and want to look at the dynamics of integration and cooperation within regions under this perspective. Which are the dynamics within a region with more than one integration or cooperation scheme? It would include both empirical and theoretical analysis. Other relevant questions would be: What are the transformation of international political economy and international relations in various regions that are generating different regional integration/cooperation scheme? What are the key roles of leading global and regional powers in shaping regional integration schemes and their development directions, and what are the important roles of transnational companies and business actors in influencing regional integration schemes?

Time & place: June 7th & 8th at Aalborg University, Krogstræde 3 - room 2.119, Denmark.

Deadline for signing up: May 1st - Please send title and a short summary of your paper (a paper is compulsory for participating).

Deadline for circulating paper: May 20th.

Contact persons:
For scientific questions pleas contact Søren Dosenrode: sd@ihis.aau.dk
For administrative questions please contact Ms Marianne Høgsbro: hoegsbro@ihis.aau.dk