Conflict management in the EU

Since the end of the East-West-conflict two topics have gained steady relevance in the debate on
international relations: globalization and regionalization. While both seem to be intrinsically tied
to the “new world order”, regional integration is increasingly identified as an appropriate answer
to the challenge of globalization. It can be observed that almost every region in the world initiated
formalized cooperation during the last decades. The growing attraction of regional integration has
directed the attention to the European Union as successful model of regional integration. The
question is, does the process of European integration hold lessons for integrative efforts in other
parts of the world? If so, European integration could be of special interest for regions like East
Asia that are still suffering from the danger of aggressive threats and in some cases military
confrontations. This paper will argue that regional integration is indeed an answer to the novel
challenge of globalization. European integration is seen as a successful model of integration that
one the one hand could be adapted piecemeal, for instance in the establishment of a common
market, but on the other hand is not suited to be the model of regional integration or even global
paradigm for regional integration. On this basis, the paper will examine one important feature of
the European political system: the EU’s methods of conflict resolution. Assuming that the
institutional and legal development of the EU created dependencies that make aggressive
confrontation within EU-Europe almost impossible, this paper will attempt to outline the extent to
which the EU’s methods of conflict management could help East Asia to settle disputes.