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"This book has two mutually reinforcing aims/parts. The first aim is to contribute to a more productive debate between different theoretical standpoints. There is surprisingly little theoretical and conceptual debate in this burgeoning field, which is one major reason for the failure to fully grasp the diversity of today's interregionalism. Too often theorists speak past each other, without really engaging with alternative theoretical perspectives or competing research results. Indeed, this book constitutes the first systematic attempt to bring together leading theories and theorists of interregionalism. Leading scholars from around the world develop their own distinctive theoretical perspectives on interregionalism, with a particular emphasis on the dynamic relationship between regionalism and interregionalism. These highly acclaimed theorists have all been associated over the years with a variety of disciplines, institutions, schools and debates and so bring a rich set of insights and connections to this pioneering project. The second part of the book 'unpacks' and problematises the region, the driving actors and institutions that are engaged in interregional relations. There is a strong tendency in the field to treat regions as coherent units actors in an interregional relationship, and such simplified notions about 'regions' and 'regional organisations' necessarily result in superficial and misleading understandings of interregionalism. This part of the book connects the theoretical discussion in the first part with a manageable empirical object."--Publisher's description

AbstractThis article explores the diplomatic implications of a central pillar in EU external relations: the development of interregional relations. In particular, the article investigates the emergence of a specific pattern of interregional relations — 'complex interregionalism' — and develops an initial framework for the analysis of this phenomenon. This framework allows for a detailed investigation of how the EU has simultaneously engaged in bilateral, multilateral and interregional relations across the globe. The EU — notably the Commission — is found to have a consistent and coherent complex interregional strategy that it employs across three world regions: Asia; Africa; and Latin America. This strategy embodies multi-level interregional relations, but aspires to the creation of 'pure interregionalism' between the EU and other customs unions. Such a strategy presents two key tensions that lie at the heart of 'complex interregionalism': the first tension is between the reality of multi-level diplomacy and the desire for 'pure interregionalism'; and the second is between the Commission's strategic vision and the realities of Council-shaped diplomacy. Analysis of the internal and external dynamics of the strategic pursuit of interregionalism, and the failure to implement it fully, can thus offer important insights for the study of both the EU's external relations and EU diplomacy.

"MERCOSUR and the European Union: Comparative Regionalism and Interregionalism" published on by Oxford University Press.

The actions undertaken between regions to establish agreements and to institutionalize relations are a constant of the contemporary internationalorder. This article puts forward a panorama of the academic debate around the relationship between regions. The first part presents the main arguments which sustain the notion of interregionalism. The second part exposes some ideas about its analytical limits. The conclusion highlights that the analytical approach of interregionalism is in need of further refinement by empirical studies. The regional processes in America and Europe and the studies of the relationships between Europe Union and Latin America illustrate some reflections. ; Las acciones que realizan las regiones para celebrar acuerdos e institucionalizar relaciones son una constante del orden mundial contemporáneo. En el presente artículo se ofrece un panorama del debate académico en torno a las relaciones entre regiones. La primera parte expone los principales argumentos que subyacen el concepto de interregionalismo; la segunda da a conocer algunas ideas acerca de sus límites analíticos. La conclusión destaca la necesidad de realizar estudios empíricos para perfeccionar el enfoque del interregionalismo. Los procesos regionales de America Latina y Europa y los estudios sobre las relaciones entre la Unión Europea y América Latina ilustran algunas de las reflexiones ofrecidas.