NON STATE ACTORS AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION PROCESSES: THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE CENTRAL AMERICAN INTEGRATION SYSTEM

Abstract

This study advances a comparative analysis of the interactions between non state actors (in this article also referred to as transnational society) and regional integration processes in Europe and Central America. Firstly, the correlation between the degree of development of regional institutions and the flowering of a transnational society is highlighted. Secondly, the attention is drawn to the current relationships between non state actors and regional institutions in the European Union (EU) and the Central American Integration System (SICA). A particular attention will be paid to civil society participation mechanisms within those regional institutions. In spite of the significant contextual differences between Europe and Central America, in both cases non state actors are viewed as a potential source of political legitimacy for regional institutions, as well as suppliers of technical expertise. Empirical evidence is drawn from the analysis of primary and secondary documents as well as from semidirective interviews to the most relevant actors.