ABSTRACT
Europe, as a geographic, political, security and economic entity has no rival in the world. The post-WW II security and economic environment posed serious questions as to the value of nation states seeking to remain apart and, when the multilateral system began to take shape, outside the scope of international co-operation. The European Union, over the course of the last 49 years, has sought to address these questions by at first co-ordinating and then integrating the nation states’ economies and political decision making structures into a regional grouping. Realising the success of this model, including in terms of the security of its members, the EU has sought to export regional integration to the world. By co-operating with other regional groupings, the EU expects to establish the conditions that will bring peace and prosperity to others and develop the rule of law and democracy in third countries who will then support and maintain an international order based on rules and common norms.
