ABSTRACT
This chapter shows motivations evident in the EU's so-called peripheral interregional relationships. While a network of interregionalism has existed. The evident in the EU-ASEAN relationship, a pattern in three parts can be identified in EU interregional relationships: motivations; aspirations towards globally active engagement; the delivery of capacity building functions. While derived from the European Union experience, this pattern appears, at least in part, to be replicated beyond the confines of the Union, as evidenced in the motivations and aspirations of regional organizations such as ASEAN and MERCOSUR. In short, therefore, the Union needs to ensure the internal consistency of its own Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) strategy and align its approach to the ACP more closely with the framework of capacity building interregionalism than is currently the case. The apparent transformation in the role of bilateral interregionalism and transregionalism must be reinforced, with aspirations and expectations allocated accordingly.
