Abstract
An important aspect of the EU’s external affairs is ‘interregionalism’. As this chapter demonstrates, the EU’s interregional approach has gradually achieved an important position in European integration and in EU foreign policy. It serves to enhance peaceful and cooperative relations of the EU with other world regions, while strengthening support for its core values, norms and economic interests. The chapter provides an overview of the scholarly research on interregionalism and its relation to foreign policy analysis and studies of global affairs. The chapter also provides an overview of main rationales for EU-driven interregionalism, its current forms and outreach and its strategic significance within current EU foreign policy aims as incorporated in the 2016 Global Strategy.
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Notes
- 1.
For more information on the history of the EC and the EU’s external relations, e.g. see Dinan (1999).
- 2.
Respective information can be found at http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ [Accessed 17 January 2018].
- 3.
With such agreements, the EU also aims to spread its values and beliefs on human rights and democratic governance, economic liberalization and privatization, acting as a ‘norm entrepreneur’. For an overview of all respective agreements: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/policies/agreements?lang=en [Accessed 1 April 2018].
- 4.
Further Readings
Keukeleire, S., & Delreux, T. (2014). The foreign policy of the European Union. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 408p.
Söderbaum, F., & Van Langenhove, L. (2005). The EU as a global actor and the role of interregionalism. London: Routledge, 262p.
Telò, M., Fawcett, L., & Ponjaert, F. (2015). Interregionalism and the EU. Abingdon: Routledge.
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Selleslaghs, J., Telò, M., Hosli, M.O. (2020). The European Union: Integration, Institutions and External Relations in a Globalised and Regionalised World. In: Hosli, M.O., Selleslaghs, J. (eds) The Changing Global Order. United Nations University Series on Regionalism, vol 17. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21603-0_9
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