Interregionalism. (c2014)

Abstract

Interregionalism is a recent phenomenon that emerged during the mid-20th century as a direct consequence of the movement towards regional blocs. The European Union (EU) came to being following the end of World War II as the first regional grouping of its kind. The EU model set in motion a number of other regional integration projects. One such regional grouping that was inspired by the EU success is the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). With the growing importance of regional blocs, interregionalism arose as the venue in which regional groupings interact. The European Union and The Gulf Cooperation Council were among the first groupings to initiate interregional interactions by signing a cooperation agreement in 1989. Focusing on economic issues, this agreement represented the first step towards establishing a Free Trade Agreement between the two blocs. But despite the passage of nearly 25 years since the signing of the Cooperation Agreement, the two sides are yet to conclude a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). After presenting theories of regionalism and interregionalism and providing background information on the two regional blocs, the thesis interrogates the history of interregional relations between them in order to shed light on the likely reasons for the delay in signing an FTA; and the future prospects of reaching such an agreement.