The European Union and Interregionalism: Patterns of Engagement

'The European Union and Interregionalism' is the most comprehensive study of interregionalism to date, providing a vigorous analysis of its role and functions in the architecture of global governance, and of the place of qualitative differences between regional actors in shaping interregional relationships. Regionalism itself is an established phenomenon, with regional politics becoming increasingly institutionalised. As a result, with the EU as forerunner, regions have begun to exert themselves in the external policy space, developing networks of relations including, prominently, interregional relations. We have thus seen the emergence of a new governance space at the interregional level, banded on one side by sites of global governance, and on the other by governance at the regional level. Important questions challenging the current literature of these interregional structures include, do interregional relationships conform to theoretical expectations?, and what patterns of engagement and interaction are emerging within the EU's core interregional partnerships, and are these replicated elsewhere? Exploring interregionalism beyond the core Europe-Asia partnerships, including the network of relations centred on ASEAN, this book should be read by all those engaged in consideration of interregional structures to understand how patterns of EU-centred interregional engagement, rather than being sui generis, are increasingly evident in the broader network of interregional relationships

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface; Regional actors and the rise of interregionalism; The functions of interregionalism; The European Union and bilateral interregionalism: the EU-ASEAN relationship; The European Union and transregionalism: the ASEM process; Interregionalism beyond Europe-Asia relations; Conclusion: the shape of interregionalism; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author :
Mathew Doidge is a Fellow of the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE), University of Canterbury, New Zealand. His current research includes regionalism, particularly in Europe and Asia, interregionalism, Europe-Asia relations, Development and EU external relations, particularly EU development policy.

Review :
'This cutting-edge book is the first that comprehensively and convincingly links theory and empirical analysis in the study of interregionalism. A must read for anyone interested in global governance and the EU's international relations.' 'This cutting-edge book is the first that comprehensively and convincingly links theory and empirical analysis in the study of interregionalism. A must read for anyone interested in global governance and the EU’s international relations.' Jörn Dosch, University of Leeds, UK 'Mathew Doidge’s book provides an excellent state-of-the-art account of inter- and transregional relations, a comparatively novel phenomenon in international relations. By focusing on the centrality of the EU in these networks without neglecting the more peripheral relationships involving non-Western regions, the study paves the way towards comparative interregionalism studies. Theory-guided and rich of empirical facts, Doidge breaks new ground by exploring the contribution of interregional relations to the incipient patterns of global institutional nesting and to new international forums such as the G20 and the BRIC Summit.' Jürgen Rüland, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Germany 'Focusing on institutionalised partnerships between state based groups constitutes a narrow approach. This allows the author to provide original comparative insight on emerging patterns of macro-regional interaction and to ground the theoretical analyses in well considered empirical specifics… Providing a continuously thoughtful and eminently structured insight, this book is of significance to a broad readership. Students of macro-regional interaction will find it an important source to establish an overview of the field. At the same time this book offers them a convincing example of the integration of theory and empirics, while facilitating understanding through an explanatory style. Advanced scholars will also find this book a strong source due to its solid and comprehensive use of empirical specifics which establish a grounded link between theory and realpolitik. Beyond that, the broad range of case studies offers a cutting-edge comparative approach towards institutionalised regional dialogue patterns.' Europe-Asia Studies