chapter 8: regionalism Flashcards
(62 cards)
Definitions: What is regionalism?
-A group of countries in a given geographic region that share common features, aims and incentives, or goals.
-Different regional blocs can differ quite significantly.
-States are unified by common goals, incentives, interests, and aims.
Definitions: What is intergovernmentalism? Give an example.
Definitions: What is intergovernmentalism? Give an example.
Definitions: What is supranationalism? Give an example.
-Organisation makes decisions, and imposes the on member states.
-The EU uses this. For exmple, only the European Commission can propose new laws. Agreements are made if at least 55% of members, representing at least 65% of the population, agree.
-This form of regionalism has been criticised as states lose too much power/sovereignty, leading to a democratic deficit.
Definitions: What is federalism?
-Where a centralised federal body exercises power, acting on behalf of a regional bloc.
-This system emphasises supranationalism, and deeper economic/political integration.
EU: When was the ECSC established, and by whom? When did it become the European Union? How has it promoted peace?
-Introduced in 1951, under the Treaty of Paris.
-It united France, West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg in the European Coal & Steel Committee.
-Under the 1992 Maastricht Treaty it became the European Union, which aimed to promote poeace & security, as well as economic interdependence.
-Has completely altered the relationshipbetween France & Germany, to the extent that war between the two former enemies is now unthinkable.
-Has had a legacy of promoting liberal values of democracy, even winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012.
EU: How has it promoted an Economic Union? What are the four freedoms of the Single Market? What are some challenges of the euro?
-Euro was created under the 1999 Treaty of Amsterdam, and introduced in 2002.
-Four Freedoms: People (under Schengen Agreement), Goods, Capital, and Services.
-New EU institutions, like the ECB, have been made, to set monetary policy in the Eurozone.
-They have also had to ensure that all Eurozone members tax & spend responsibly. They set non-binding guidelines for states to follow, which came under severe pressure during the 2008 financial crisis.
-In 2012, the European Fiscal Compact was signes as a legal intergovernmental treaty, requiring states to keep their national budgets in balance or in surplus.
EU: Why was the political/social union created? Describe some of the EU’s social policy.
-Creates a forum for member states to work together to agree to laws, & tackle member state’s challenges.
-European social fund gives money to social projects (aiming to reduce unemployment, for example). 10% of the EU’s budget is spent on this fund.
-Labour laws harmonise social policy on diverse matters, like working hours, and unemployment rights.
-EU directives cover a wide range of matters, ranging from social policy to trade/environment. Has even included the bendy banana law.
-The LEAVE campaign argued that the EU had introduced too many directives.
EU: How/Why is there a judicial & policing union?
-Allows coordination of laws & enforcement on matters of international interest, ie terrorism & organised crime.
-European Arrest Warrants allow for the police force in one member state to issue an arrest warrant for police in any other member state.
-This removes the need for states to negotiate extradition of a suspect back to their home state.
EU: How has the EU had a role in poverty? How has it been criticised?
-They have encouraged development outside borders, and is a leading donor of official Development Assistance, providing £75.2bn of aid in 2019.
-CAP makes it harder for farmers in developing states outside the EU to sell produce in the EU.
-EU farmers are also enabled to keep prices lower due to subsidies, making them more competitive in the developing world.
-CAP covers about half of the EU’s budget, costing €54bn in 2020.
EU: How has the EU advocated & helped human rights? Why have they been criticised?
-The ECHR was created in 1950 (before the ECSC), and aimed to prevent a repeat of the events of WW2. The ECHR has wider membership than the EU, as it is comprised of those in the Council of Europe.
-EU has its own charter of fundamental human rights, which sets out the specific rights that should be in place for all European citizens.
-Has been criticised as it lacks the means to intervene with human rights abuses, as they do not have a standing army. Often, NATO lead intervention in place of the EU.
EU: What did the EU establish in 1992?
-The European Commission established the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.
-This provides humanitarian aid, money, and emergency aid workers, and also responds to natural disasters.
-It also works closely with NGOs, and has a strong presence in Syria.
EU: Why has the EU been successful with their environmental policies? Give some examples of measures taken within the single market.
-Policies have been implemented due to the EU’s small size & the fact that most member states have similar economic development.
-The single market has meant that they are able to implement trade laws that protect the environment.
-EU aimed to achieve 20% cut in greenhouse emissions, find 20% energy from renewables and see a 20% improvement in energy efficency in 2020.
-Directives also require that public & private sector organisation carry out an environmental impact assessment before any new building or infrastructure projects.
EU: What else has the EU committed to in terms of the environment? How has the EU been relevant in environmentalism on an international scale?
-As part of the European Green Deal, they are committed to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, with set target to reduce greenhouse emissions by at least 55% of the 1990 levels by 2030.
-EU has observer status in the UN, and has a role in the G20 to promote environmental causes on the international stage.
-They have been integral to the development of various international agreements, like the 2009 Copenhagen Agreement, as well as taking a lead in Paris talks.
EU: How does the EU Covid Recovery Fund demonstrate the impacts of Brexit?
-As part of the 2021 budget, a Covid Recovery Fund was created. If the UK had still been in the EU, they would’ve been the second largest contributor to this fund.
-Though, the UK likely would’ve prevented the fund from going through.
-The recovery fund also prioritises green & digital projects, in line with targets for net zero.
-The recovery fund intended to renew confidence in capabilites after a poor early response, and patchy vaccine roll-out.
Types: What are some reasons for economic regionalism?
-When states share economic aims, they have greater incentive to cooperate.
-They can make mutually beneficial trade agreements, enabling them to maximise their own economies.
-States can use regional protectionist policies to pursue domestic trade (ie the EU is protectionist over agricultural industry, through CAP).
-Regionalism can also enable greater trade outside of the region. When the UK left the EU, Obama states that they would be “at the back of the queue” for negotiating a trade deal with the US.
Types: Give some examples of economic regionalism?
-NAFTA (now the USMCA) is an agreement between Canada, Mexico, and the US to enable states to trade freely.
-TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) was agreed in 2016, but Trump withdrew in 2017.
-African Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, was founded in 2018, and includes 54/55 African countries.
-EU is a key example of economic regionalism, uniting states under a single market with a single currency.
Types: What are some reasons for political regionalism?
-Allows states to focus on tacking collective action on problems faced by multiple states in a region.
-Often built on shared cultural values.
-They might pool sovereignty to be stronger as a collective, which can increase state’s power within international organisation & forums.
-Enables the widening and deeping of regional relations.
Types: Give some examples of political regionalism.
-Arab League, founded in 1945, with 22 members across the Middle East & North Africa.
-Alliance of Small Island States (ASIS) was formed in 1990, but has no formal constitution. This was created to give a unified voice to small island states, like the Maldives & Nauru.
-ASEAN, founded in 1967.
-AU, 2002.
-EU, 1993.
Types: What are some reasons for security regionalism?
-States make alliances to strengthen their regional borders.
-This involves militaristic alliances/agreements that, if an outsider attacks a member state, all regional members will attack.
-Alliances of states are often centred on a common threat.
-They are sometimes centred on the movement of people, as they consider movement in a regional area to be safe, but maintain a common policy to restrict immigration from further afield or to prevent illegal asylum seekers.
Types: What are some examples of security regionalism?
-EU has gained influence over security policy through its Common Foreign and Security Policy.
-Lisbon Treaty, 2007, agreed for more powers for the EU to project its own unified foreign & security policy through the appointment of a High Representative of the Union for foreign Affairs & Security Policy and the President of the European Council.
-NATO, though, remains the most influential security organisation for European states, and the majority of EU members are also NATO members.
Types: What was Operation IRNI?
-Operation IRNI (Greek for peace) was launched in 2020.
-It is run by the European Union Naval Force under a new Common Security & Defence Policy, and aims to enforce the UN arms embargo to Libya following the Civil War.
-Using aerial, satellite, and maritime resources, IRINI is able to inspect vessels off the coast of Libya, that may be carrying arms.
-This replaced Operation Sophia, a previous military organisation introduced in 2015
Globalisation: Does regionalism help globalisation?
-Regional blocs enhance globalisation by, essentially, compartmentalising the globe. This has been termed the ‘global village’ argument.
-Regional blocs organise states into those that have similar goals, making the process of global governance more efficent.
-Regionalism is compatible with globalisation, and involves similar processes of cooperation.
-Outwardly looking regional blocs want to make the most of global networks and are simply acting as a larger unit than a nation-state.
Globalisation: How does regionalism hinder globalisation?
-Inwardly looing regional blocs display ‘regional egoism’, in that they are only really interested in the concerns of their own region, and become isolationist.
-Regional blocs may cut off economically through the implementation of protectionist policies.
-Regionalism can lead to further divides as the world is split into segments, hindering the ideals of a global community.
-Regional blocs are all quite different in character, meaning they cannot effectively act together in global relations.
Theories: How do liberals & realists differ in their views on the impact of regionalism on sovereignty?
-Liberals believe that cooperation is always good, whether on a regional or a global scale, as long as one does not impede the other.
-States are strengthened through cooperation, and regionalism is the only was to deal with a more interconnected world, as issue, increasingly, cannot be addressed on their own.
-Realists argue that regional/global governance is ultimately futile, as states will always continue to act in their own interests, and strong states will always be able to abuse the system.
