The North Atlantic: A Case of Bicontinental Regionalism

Form and content of interregional relations reflect the dynamics generated by the specific regionalism existing in the regions considered. Nowhere is interregionalism’s subordination to regionalism clearer than in the North Atlantic. The experiences with regionalism of Europe and North America differ considerably, as the former has experimented radically in regional integration while the latter has made only modest steps. Consequently, interregionalism provides for a poor analytical grid to understand North Atlantic relations. The latter are better grasped instead if a regionalism-informed conceptual framework is applied, as after all the North Atlantic displays features that fit a regionalism prism. After outlining a conceptual framework to understand regions, the chapter briefly compares Europe’s and North America’s regionalism before delving into the analysis of the North Atlantic as a sui generis bicontinental region.

Result of the Atlantic Future research project. Previously publ. as: "Regional and Interregional Interactions in Europe, North America and across the North Atlantic", Barcelona, Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), November 2015, 26 p. (Atlantic Future Working Papers ; 22).