The EU's Role and Interest in Promoting Regional Integration in Central America

Author(s): 
Pages: 
30
Item Reference: 
W-2014/9
Publication Date: 
2014
Publication Place: 
Bruges
Publication Language: 
EN
Publisher: 
UNU Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies
Series Title: 
UNU-CRIS Working Papers
Working Paper Type: 
Abstract: 

As the EU’s regional strategy paper for Central America states,the Union actively promotes and supports the Central American regional integration process in a wide variety of ways. In this working paper, we will critically analyze whether or not this truly is the case, and, if so, how the EU then shapes this support. We will argue that the EU indeed does so because of various strategic considerations and through various ways of financial and technical assistance, by negotiating a free trade agreement, and through region-to-region political dialogue and norm diffusion.

Keywords: 
Central America; regions; regional integration; interregionalism; EU; Latin America; EU external relations; norm diffusion