Publication Name
Working Paper
Volume, number, page
W-2008/6
Year of Publication
2008
Organization Name
United Nations University - Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies
Acronym
UNU - CRIS
Publisher
UNU-CRIS
City
Brugge
Country of Publication
Belgium
Considered Countries
United States
Category
Academic articles
Theme
BILATERAL RELATIONS UE - LAC
Subregion - European Union
BIREGIONAL RELATIONS UE - LAC
Association Agreeements
Keyword(s)
European Union
Central America
Foreign Policy
Regional Integration
Trade
Development Co-operation
Negotiations
Agreement
Interregionalism
Norms
Abstract
Regional integration schemes have proliferated around the world and with them the
interaction between regions or interregionalism. The European Union (EU) has been
supporting these integration efforts worldwide, putting special attention to Latin America
(CARICOM and the Andean Community) and to the Central American case in particular.
Relations with Europe have played an important role in the history of this region,
especially in the last decades. Europe’s active participation in the democratic transition
was instrumental for the consolidation of peace in the region. These efforts started with
the Diálogo de San José (1984). From the European perspective it was clear in that
moment that a national and regional approach was needed in order to successfully
achieve regional pacification and stability. The Dialog gave birth to an increasing
biregional interaction that currently seeks to strength the relations with an Association
Agreement (AA). This AA between Central American countries and the EU constitutes
the first biregional agreement in the world; but why is the EU interested in strengthening
its relations with Central America? Why is the EU negotiating an AA with this region?
The present essay seeks to evaluate critically EU’s interest in CA giving priority to the
political interest at stake considering that economic motivations are marginal due to the
trade among these regions. This paper proposes that EU’s main driving force behind the
negotiations is of political nature and its main goals are: (1) to strengthen its actorness in
the international community, particularly within the triad and with strong competence
with the US; (2) to promote its integration model and the echoing of its process or what
some scholars call Europeanization; (3) to promote inter-regionalism and region-toregion
dialog by insisting in negotiating with CA as a whole; and finally (4) to use the
AA as a tool to achieve and strengthen consensus within state members. Nevertheless it is
important to bear in mind that due to the integral characteristics of this accord it
strengthens relations on several fields: economical, political and of cooperation which for
the EU vision are interdependent issues. Finally I conclude pointing out the main
difficulties in exporting a model and suggest future research directions.
interaction between regions or interregionalism. The European Union (EU) has been
supporting these integration efforts worldwide, putting special attention to Latin America
(CARICOM and the Andean Community) and to the Central American case in particular.
Relations with Europe have played an important role in the history of this region,
especially in the last decades. Europe’s active participation in the democratic transition
was instrumental for the consolidation of peace in the region. These efforts started with
the Diálogo de San José (1984). From the European perspective it was clear in that
moment that a national and regional approach was needed in order to successfully
achieve regional pacification and stability. The Dialog gave birth to an increasing
biregional interaction that currently seeks to strength the relations with an Association
Agreement (AA). This AA between Central American countries and the EU constitutes
the first biregional agreement in the world; but why is the EU interested in strengthening
its relations with Central America? Why is the EU negotiating an AA with this region?
The present essay seeks to evaluate critically EU’s interest in CA giving priority to the
political interest at stake considering that economic motivations are marginal due to the
trade among these regions. This paper proposes that EU’s main driving force behind the
negotiations is of political nature and its main goals are: (1) to strengthen its actorness in
the international community, particularly within the triad and with strong competence
with the US; (2) to promote its integration model and the echoing of its process or what
some scholars call Europeanization; (3) to promote inter-regionalism and region-toregion
dialog by insisting in negotiating with CA as a whole; and finally (4) to use the
AA as a tool to achieve and strengthen consensus within state members. Nevertheless it is
important to bear in mind that due to the integral characteristics of this accord it
strengthens relations on several fields: economical, political and of cooperation which for
the EU vision are interdependent issues. Finally I conclude pointing out the main
difficulties in exporting a model and suggest future research directions.