Regionalism and Sub-Regionalism in the Caribbean: Challenges and Prospects - Any Insights from Europe?
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Robert Schuman Regionalism and Sub-regionalism in the Caribbean: Challenges and Prospects - Any Insights from Europe? Wendy Grenade Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Paper Series Vol. 11 No. 4 September 2011 Published with the support of the EU Commission. The Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Paper Series The Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Paper Series is produced by the Jean Monnet Chair of the University of Miami, in cooperation with the Miami-Florida European Union Center of Excellence, a partnership with Florida International University (FIU). These monographic papers analyze ongoing developments within the European Union as well as recent trends which influence the EU’s relationship with the rest of the world. Broad themes include, but are not limited to: EU Enlargement The Evolution of the Constitutional Process The EU as a Global Player Comparative Regionalisms The Trans-Atlantic Agenda EU-Latin American Relations Economic issues Governance The EU and its Citizens EU Law As the process of European integration evolves further, the Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Papers is intended to provide current analyses on a wide range of issues relevant to the EU. The overall purpose of the monographic papers is to contribute to a better understanding of the unique nature of the EU and the significance of its role in the world. Miami - Florida European Union Center Jean Monnet Chair Staff University of Miami Joaquín Roy (Director) 1000 Memorial Drive Astrid Boening (Associate Director) 101 Ferré Building María Lorca (Associate Editor) Coral Gables, FL 33124-2231 Maxime Larive (Research Assistant) Phone: 305-284-3266 Fax: (305) 284 4406 Web: www.miami.edu/eucenter Florida International University Rebecca Friedman (FIU, Co-Director) Inter-American Jean Monnet Chair Editorial Board: Carlos Hakansson, Universidad de Piura, Perú Finn Laursen, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada Michel Levi-Coral, Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Quito, Ecuador Fernando Laiseca, ECSA Latinoamérica Félix Peña, Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero, Buenos Aires, Argentina Lorena Ruano, Centro de Investigación de la Economía (CIDE), México Eric Tremolada, Universidad del Externado de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia International Jean Monnet Chair Editorial Advisors: Francesc Granell, University of Barcelona, Spain Blanca Vilà, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Federiga Bindi, University Tor Vergata (Rome) 2 Regionalism and Sub-regionalism in the Caribbean: Challenges and Prospects - Any Insights from Europe?. Wendy Grenade ABSTRACT This paper examines the complexities of regional integration in the developing world and the internal and external forces that shape regional and sub-regional groupings. The main contention is that moments of uncertainty and stagnation at the regional level act as incentives for deeper sub-regionalism. The paper explores the challenges and prospects within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the sub-regional grouping of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and analyses the extent to which the European Union‟s (EU‟s) model has influenced regional integration in the Caribbean. Key words: Caribbean Community (CARICOM), European Union, Economic partnership Agreement, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, regional integration and globalisation Introduction The recent global financial and economic crisis has brought to the fore the complexities of the post-Cold War capitalist order. The convergence of old and new threats continue to reconfigure the global landscape. In the face of uncertainty, corporate enterprises and sovereign states are preoccupied with competitiveness and viability as the peoples of the world search for security in their daily lives, democracy and hope. Recent uprisings in parts of Europe and the Middle East bring into question the contradictions of the global political and economic order. At the same time, potential poles of power are emerging; such as China, Russia, India and Brazil, providing alternative policy options and multiple platforms for engagement. Within this maze, regional integration continues to be necessary but problematic. The current moment is both a threat and an incentive for regional integration schemes. Sovereign states are forced to turn their attention inward as economic instability and societal disorder threaten political capital. Yet, as global forces rage, states are also forced to seek refuge in collective regional arrangements, which act as logical buffers. While this is not new, a large question is, whither regional integration in the contemporary global era? . An earlier version of this paper was first presented at the European Union Twelfth Biennial International Conference on the panel The European Union in Latin America, Hyatt Regency Boston, Boston Massachusetts March 3-5, 2011. I wish to thank Professor Sebastian Royo for his comprehensive comments as discussant for the panel. I also wish to thank Professor Joaquin Roy, the other panellists and colleagues who commented on the paper. Wendy Grenade holds a Ph.D. and MA in International Studies from the University of Miami, with concentrations in Comparative Politics and International Relations. She has authored several scholarly articles on regional integration, Caribbean-EU relations, Caribbean governance and politics in post revolutionary Grenada. Dr. Grenade is currently a Lecturer in Political Science, Department of Government, Sociology and Social Work, the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Prior to joining the faculty at UWI she lectured at Florida Atlantic University, and was a Research Associate at the European Union Centre, University of Miami. Dr. Grenade was also employed with the Government of Grenada in the Public Sector and in the Grenada Diplomatic Service, with postings in Washington, D.C. and London. Dr. Grenade has also been recognised for her research and publication at the Cave Hill Campus for 2008-2009. 3 The European Union (EU) is the most advanced regional integration project in the world. It is characterized by a unique mix of intergovernmentalism and supranationality and supported by strong networks and interests. Beginning with the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in the 1950s to the current Lisbon Treaty,2 the EU has simultaneously deepened and widened its regional project. In the process it has created a number of common institutions which have acted as a catalyst to sustain integration. In so doing, it has made advances in a number of areas including a common currency – the Euro - an internal market and the harmonization of policies in a number of issue areas.3 However, while the EU may be an economic superpower it continues to be a political dwarf.4 Some of its challenges include incohesive foreign policies, monetary instability, democratic deficits and questions of legitimacy. Nonetheless, the EU remains an example of regional integration and it provides useful insights for the rest of the world. In the Global South, as is the case within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), regional projects also experience moments of advance and stagnation. These are often linked to the interplay between internal political, economic and socio-cultural dynamics and larger global forces. The situation is compounded particularly for post-colonial countries. Despite strong incentives to integrate, the process of integration is often haunted by historical ghosts; compromised by conditions of vulnerability, poverty and insecurity; undermined by the lack of political will and popular support and stymied by the absence of common institutions. Within this context the central question this paper seeks to address is, what accounts for relatively deeper levels of integration at the sub-regional level in the Caribbean? A further question is, to what extent has the EU influenced regional integration in the Caribbean? After this introduction, the paper presents a brief theoretical overview of regional integration. It then provides an overview of the current state of CARICOM and the OECS, drawing insights from the EU. The final section of the paper presents conclusions and suggestions for further research. Regional Integration: A Conceptual Guide The study of regional integration is not new. The 1950s and 1960s saw the first wave of integration theories which were used to conceptualize the early stages of European integration. One of the classical debates in the field surrounded neo-functionalism and inter-governmentalism. Neo-functionalism advances the notion that national governments are willing to cede sovereignty over certain matters to regional institutions, which can then make laws and policies that are binding upon those governments. In this respect regional integration refers to “the process whereby political actors in several distinct national settings are persuaded to shift their loyalties, expectations and political activities to a new center whose institutions possess or demand jurisdiction over the pre-existing national states.”5 This perspective holds that the momentum for integration could be maintained where supranational agencies were given tasks that facilitated the 2 After a difficult ratification process, on 1 December, 2009 the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force. This marked the culmination of a process which began with the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997, followed by the Nice Treaty in 2002 and the controversial Constitutional Treaty in 2004. The Lisbon Treaty is the latest expression of the European integration process which is intended to enhance the efficiency