Regionalism in Europe: Geometries and strategies after 2000

Book abstract:

This volume presents the main papers from a conference held at the Centre for European Integration Studies at the University of Bonn in November 1998. The conference programme consisted of four themes: theoretical and institutional issues, regional policy in the European Union, regional implication of European Monetary Union, and regional arrangements between the EU and other countries. The papers range from theoretical analysis of institutions to empirical analysis of the trade and welfare effects of regional arrangements.

The volume is split into four parts. Part I: 'Theoretical and institutional aspects of regionalism' consists of three papers. The first two papers deal with conceptual and institutional design issues of regionalism in Europe. The third focuses on the network of 93 European Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) in existence in 1998. In Part II: 'Regional policy in Europe' the success of regional policy is evaluated in the light of different concepts of economic convergence. Part III: 'Regional implications of European Monetary Union' contains two papers which take issue with the regional consequences of a European Monetary Union that does not include all the member states of the European Union. A final part: 'Regionalism: the EU and other regions' focuses on the implications of EU integration for the Nordic countries, a discussion of issues of trade liberalisation, in particular relating to the Middle East, Turkey, the EU and the economies in transition, the importance of deep integration, and post Lomé trading arrangements.

Altogether the papers highlight the multi-facetted aspects of regionalism in Europe.