The EU, Regional Conflicts and the Promotion of Regional Integration: Setting The Framework of Analysis

This paper sets out the theoretical framework of the Regioconf project, with the final goal of analyzing the conditions under which the promotion of regional integration by the EU has contributed to the transformation of regional conflicts. The next section defines regional conflicts. The third section engages with the broader peace and conflict literature dealing with the impact of regional integration on regional conflict transformation. The fourth section sets out the analytical framework in order to determine whether conflict transformation has occured as a result of regional integration, under what conditions this has taken place and how patterns of success/failure of the EU strategy can be accounted for across different world regions.

Documento preparato nell'ambito del progetto "RegioConf - The EU, Regional Conflicts and the Promotion of Regional Cooperation: A Successful Strategy for a Global Challenge?". Una prima versione del paper è stata presentata in un panel su "Model Europe? The European Union, Conflict Transformation and the Diffusion of Regionalism" dell'International Studies Association (ISA) Convention in San Francisco il 3-6 aprile 2013.