ABSTRACT
Regional institutions have established themselves as some of the key phenomena of contemporary world politics, as illustrated by the emergence of the European Union (EU) as a powerful actor able to emulate American hegemony in international economic affairs such as trade liberalization talks in the World Trade Organization (WTO). One of the conspicuous natures of those regional institutions, defined here as a forum where three or more participants from a certain geographical space gather for the purpose of forming common policies approaches and priorities, is the tendency for regional consciousness among members to be expressed by perceiving boundaries that differentiate insiders (members) from outsiders (non-members). A regional concept that identifies its geographical boundaries is necessary for any regional grouping including regional institutions. Without clear and agreed-upon boundaries, there can be no demarcation of the region based on which regional institutions are created. Here a ‘regional concept’ is defined as a geographical framework constructed and shared by human beings responsible for political decision, specifying the potential members of a certain regional institution.
