This paper shows that the process of constitution of the European Union represents a significant way of reinforcing regionalism. It can thus become a model for other political attempts at regional integration. A reflection on the various theories that account for this phenomenon is the best strategy to study the transposition of the European experience. The autor constructs a classification scheme that allows for the evaluation of the stronger and weaker points of the different approaches. The challenge is to understand the change in the relation among previously sovereign nation states and increasingly interdependent national economies.
European integration; Regionalism; Supranational power; Sub-national regions; Supranational regions; European Union; Neo-neo-functionalism
