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The Uniqueness of the European Process of Regional Integration: Institutional Framework Уникальность Европей

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The Uniqueness of the European Process of Regional Integration: Institutional Framework Уникальность Европей Международные отношения International Relations UDC 338 THE UNIQUENESS OF THE EUROPEAN PROCESS OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION: INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK M. M. KEINO a a Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus The article covers supranational governance that relies on the well­built institutional structure of the EU and shows its peculiarity. It argues the fact that the EU can be perceived as a state in nature. The article also highlights the drawbacks in the formation and functioning of other regional integration associations such as ASEAN, NAFTA, and MERCOSUR. Good governance of the EU, remarkable economic results achieved by its members and the existence of strong and independent supranational institutions result in the EU uniqueness. Keywords: ASEAN decision­making; European Union; EU governance; EU decision­making; European Council. УНИКАЛЬНОСТЬ ЕВРОПЕЙСКОГО ПРОЦЕССА РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЙ ИНТЕГРАЦИИ: ИНСТИТУЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ СТРУКТУРА Н. М. КЕЙНО 1) 1) Белорусский государственный университет, пр. Независимости, 4, 220030, г. Минск, Беларусь Рассматривается наднациональное управление, опирающееся на хорошо выстроенную институциональную структуру ЕС, и демонстрируется особенность такого управления. Приводятся доводы в пользу того, что ЕС может восприниматься как государство по своей природе. Также освещаются недостатки в формировании и функциони­ ровании других региональных интеграционных объединений, таких как АСЕАН, НАФТА и МЕРКОСУР. Надлежащее управление ЕС, хорошие экономические результаты, достигнутые его членами, и наличие сильных и независимых наднациональных институтов могут свидетельствовать об уникальности союза. Ключевые слова: процесс принятия решений в АСЕАН; Европейский союз; управление ЕС; процесс принятия решений в ЕС; европейский Совет министров. Introduction The time between 1945 and 1948 could be charac­ Moreover, European integration could be assigned to terised by the escalation of the Cold War and the foun­ the economic situation in the region [2, p. 111]. Some dation of approximately a hundred new organisations of the Western European countries’ governments con­ that mostly focused on its mitigation, Western Europe sidered the integration as a chance to modernise their became a place for international forums. As a result, economies, increase the competition by establishing the Western European states connected to one another an extending market that eventually would lead to the and to the “benignant hegemon”, the USA [1, p. 652]. substitution of old forms of manufacturing for new Образец цитирования: For citation: Кейно НМ. Уникальность европейского процесса регио­ Keino MM. The uniqueness of the European process of re­ нальной интеграции: институционная структура. Жур- gional integration: institutional framework. Journal of the нал Белорусского государственного университета. Меж- Belarusian State University. International Relations. 2020;2: дународные отношения. 2020;2:31–37 (на англ.). 31–37. Автор: Author: Никита Михайлович Кейно – аспирант кафедры между­ Mikita M. Keino, postgraduate student at the department народных экономических отношений факультета меж­ of international economic relations, faculty of interna­ дународных отношений. Научный руководитель – кан­ tional relations. дидат экономических наук, доцент Н. И. Скирко. [email protected] 31 Журнал Белорусского государственного университета. Международные отношения. 2020;2:31–37 Journal of the Belarusian State University. International Relations. 2020;2:31–37 ones based on cooperation and specialisation and put The objectives of the study are: expenses on the economy restructure on the common 1) to look into the integration theories identifying European budget. Furthermore, there were attempts the best practices each school of thought brought to the to gain more power through establishing the integra­ understanding of the integration process and its success; tion, for example, France could have more power using 2) to describe the basics of the EU decision­making the European interdependence rather than national process and identifying its peculiarities; independence. It was a good way of eliminating the 3) to evaluate the EU as a federation, confederation US influence, becoming more influential (especially or a compound of states; in the case of France and later Britain), and re­estab­ 4) to compare the experiences of other regional in­ lishing equilibrium in the Atlantic Alliance. Germany tegrations (NAFTA, ASEAN, MERCOSUR) with the EU consi dered the integration as a way of exonerating its experience and identify the reason of the EU for the image in the international arena and act on behalf of successful institution building. Europe [3, p. 248]. The European Union (EU) could be The novelty of the study is using different integra­ consi dered as one of the most sophisticated and mul­ tion dimensions and theoretical approaches as well as tinational political institutions, less dependent on identifying the reasons for the success of the process authority of member states [4, p. 124]. The uniqueness of European integration. of the EU is that it initially declared to be unique, all the The EU uniqueness concept could include constancy while, it has been an ambition of achieving more rather and well­functioning of the supranational governance than a political substantiality [1, p. 670]. relying on national governmental institutions, consi­ The purpose of the study is to present the experi­ deration of the EU as being a superstate, federation or ence of European integration by virtue of the unique­ confederation; the comparison of European integration ness of its institutional framework and its comparison to other ones in the different regions of the world could to other integration associations. demonstrate the manifestation of the EU uniqueness. The theoretical framework of the EU uniqueness One of the main EU peculiarities is the stability of integration progressing). This describes the ways and its governance and a wide range of institutions that reasons for the policy sectors to be regulated at the provide it. The European process of integration can supranational level. The vertical dimension describes be divided into three dimensions that might try to the distribution of competencies across EU institu­ explain the EU governance success: sectoral, vertical, tions and the transfer of local competencies to the and horizontal ones. The sectoral dimension of the supranational level. Table below gives examples of integration describes the process of how new policy how the decisions are taken in some policy areas in areas start to be regulated (partially or completely) different periods of the EU integration process. This at the supranational level (EU level). This entails any dimension shows how the competencies of member new policy area that is becoming to be regulated by states are being delegated to the EU level and it might the EU (the security and defence, immigration and be used as an indicator of the integration level across asylum policies can be taken as an example of sectoral the different policy areas. Table The EU vertical and sectoral integration Year Policy area 1950 1958 1967 1993 2004 Movement of NL EUL BL CL CL goods and services Environmental NL EUL EUL BL BL standards Labour market NL NL NL BL BL standards Security NL NL NL NL EUL and defence Immigration NL NL NL EUL BL and asylum 32 Международные отношения International Relations Ending table Year Policy area 1950 1958 1967 1993 2004 Regional NL NL NL BL BL development Public healthcare NL NL NL EUL EUL N ot e. NL – all the decisions are taken at the national level; EUL – some de­ cisions are taken at the EU level; BL – the decisions are taken at both levels; CL – most decisions are taken at the central level. The horizontal dimension describes the increase of of equality and unanimity (or on the principle of the sectoral and vertical integration levels across territo­ majority of votes depending on the issue) could be seen ries. It mostly refers to the EU enlargement, and analy­ in the union [7, p. 463]. The neo­functionalism relies ses, why some countries are willing to become a mem­ on the cooperation of political powers and spillover of ber of the EU and some, are not, it evaluates the cases economic cooperation into the interactions in other where the full EU membership is not reached and it is areas. This theory declines the importance of governan­ only association or trade agreements between the EU ce of member states, supranational institutions have and a state or a group of states. It is worth mentioning the full power. The neo­functionalist theory is conside­ that horizontal integration is not homogeneous in the red questionable speaking about the contemporary EU EU: for instance, there are exclusions from the Euro­ because of the development of the integration process, pean Monetary Union or Schengen regime for some of especially, after the Maastricht Treaty was signed. The the members. neo­functionalist theory relies on that the “successive The existing theories of integration that could be di­ spillovers would accrue to the same regional institu­ vided into the theories of federalism, intergovernmen­ tion, for instance, the EU Commission” that is incon­ talism and supranationalism [5, p. 184; 6] are seeking sistent with unwillingness of member states to empo­ to explain the durability of the European institutiona­ wer the EU Commission since 1992 [10, p. 14; 11, p. 39]. lisation framework [7, p. 464]. In the early steps of the There are many modern
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