The European Union as a model for African regionalism: decolonizing regional integration in Africa?

Abstract

The EU is the most dominant model used to design and support regional integration in

Africa. As such, the EU model can be considered as part of the knowledge infrastructure in

Africa: not only does the EU often provide the epistemic starting point for thinking about

regional integration, it also contributes, financially and with expertise, to the process or regional integration. This paper critically reflects on the role and usage of the EU model in Africa. It asks which colonial pitfalls an EU-inspired approach may lead to and if and how these pitfalls may be avoided or mitigated. If possible at all, this may help answer the further question if and how EU experiences can be critically questioned and translated for cautious use in the African context, whilst reducing the risk of importing explicit or implicit colonial elements. One key element we focus on in this context is the implications of state-centred regional integration. We also turn this critical approach back on the EU: what can and should the EU learn from the African innovations in regional integration?