Suchergebnisse

The idea of regional economic cooperation has gained strong
support during the post-War period. The geographical proximity of
different countries in the same region has often led to similar resource
bases, common historical experience, and similar cultural and social
evolutions. They have more common problems among themselves than with
outsiders and a more common outlook, and, therefore, have greater scope
for fruitful interchange of views and experiments, and a larger field of
productive cooperation and collaboration. If individually many of them
feel small and helpless, they can seek solace and support among
themselves. The United Nations has recognized the role of regional
cooperation by setting up various regional bodies—Economic Commissions,
as they are called—and these bodies have done valuable work in bringing
out the special features and problems of the regions with which they are
concerned. The regional commissions have conducted regional studies,
organized seminars and discussions on important problems of the region,
and fostered regional understanding and cooperation. Now they are
turning to a very important and controversial sphere, viz., the sphere
of trade cooperation for the region or its important parts. The trade
cooperation contemplated has a distinct preferential and discriminatory
ring. This has given rise to some competi¬tion and anxiety, and led to
plans for defensive action in other regions, and sometimes even within
the region itself. The leadership has come from the most developed
region, viz., Europe where the habit of regional cooperation was
developed earlier for post-War rehabilitation, and had taken many
organizational forms like the Organization for European Economic
Cooperation (OEEC), the European Payments Union (EPU), the European Coal
and Steel Community (ECSC), etc., and where common defence and political
problems are a powerful cementing force. Two strong trading bloc
arrangements have sprung up in Europe, viz., the European Common Market
for six countries—France, Italy, Western Germany and the Benelux Union,
i.e., the three countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and
Luxemberg