Reassessing regimes: The international regime aspects of the European Union

In the debate over how best to describe the European Union (EU) in institutional terms, several scholars have argued that it cannot be considered a regime. However, these authors miss an important point in their discounting of regime analysis: that regardless of what type of institution the EU is, there is a regime associated with it. While agreeing with those who describe it as an economic confederation, the argument is made that the European Union is embedded in a regime. Several regime aspects of the EU are outlined. Finally, several arguments are put forward supporting the appropriateness of using regime analysis when studying the EU.