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This book explores regionalism in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and highlights the influence of the European Union (EU) as an extra-regional actor on the organization and integration process. The analysis is guided by theory and explains the emergence, institutional design and performance of SADC's major integration projects in the issue areas of the economy, security and infrastructure. It provides in this way a profound assessment of the organization as a whole. The study shows that South Africa plays a regional key role as driver for integration while external influence of the EU is ambivalent in character because it unfolds a supportive or obstructive impact. The author argues that the EU gains influence over regional integration processes in the SADC on the basis of patterns of asymmetric interdependence and becomes a 'game-changer' insofar as it facilitates or impedes solutions to regional cooperation problems.
List of contents
1. Introduction.- 2. Theoretical Approach: The Situation Structural Model as an Analytical Tool to explain Regionalism.- 3. The Southern African Development Community (SADC): An analytical Overview of its History, Policies and Institutional Framework.- 4. The Protocol on Trade and the Creation of the SADC Free Trade Area.- 5. Exogenous Interference: The European Union's Economic Partnership Agreements and the stalled SADC Customs Union.- 6. Regional Security Cooperation and SADC's Organ for Politics, Defence and Security (OPDS): A Picture of mixed Performance.- 7. The SADC Standby Force and its Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre: Uncertain Operational Readiness and Future of an externally fuelled Brigade.- 8. The Southern African Power Pool: An Electrifying Project with untapped Potential.- 9. Conclusion.
About the author
Johannes Muntschick is Lecturer and Post-doc Research Fellow in the Department of International Relations at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, and Research Associate at the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence 'EU in Global Dialogue' (CEDI).
Summary
This book explores regionalism in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and highlights the influence of the European Union (EU) as an extra-regional actor on the organization and integration process. The analysis is guided by theory and explains the emergence, institutional design and performance of SADC’s major integration projects in the issue areas of the economy, security and infrastructure. It provides in this way a profound assessment of the organization as a whole. The study shows that South Africa plays a regional key role as driver for integration while external influence of the EU is ambivalent in character because it unfolds a supportive or obstructive impact. The author argues that the EU gains influence over regional integration processes in the SADC on the basis of patterns of asymmetric interdependence and becomes a ‘game-changer’ insofar as it facilitates or impedes solutions to regional cooperation problems.
Additional text
“Muntschick’s contribution is a valuable addition to the literature on (external) influences on regional organisations, and to ongoing debates among scholars and policymakers about theory building and empirical/case studies. He provides a substantial theoretical framework with which to analyse the role of external and internal actors on the crucial policy field of regional organisations, and offers insights into a still under-researched region.” (Mariel Reiss, South African Journal of International Affairs, October 31, 2018)
Report
"Muntschick's contribution is a valuable addition to the literature on (external) influences on regional organisations, and to ongoing debates among scholars and policymakers about theory building and empirical/case studies. He provides a substantial theoretical framework with which to analyse the role of external and internal actors on the crucial policy field of regional organisations, and offers insights into a still under-researched region." (Mariel Reiss, South African Journal of International Affairs, October 31, 2018)
