Limits of the Institutional Mimesis of the European Union: The Case of the Mercosur Parliament

Abstract

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2041-7373.2010.00004.x/pdfInternational audienceSince the 1960s, its constructors and theoreticians started to consider European integration as a model with the potential to be exported to other continents. Community institutions have thus developed an exportation policy of their conceptions and mechanisms, which states desiring to embark on the regional venture supported with technical and financial support. This is precisely the case of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), established by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, in 1991. After a long period of negotiations, the Mercosur Parliament was created in 2006. This article analyzes to what extent the European Union (EU) has influenced the institutionalization of this assembly. How was this institutional transfer organized, and which elements of the European experience do the actors involved in the creation of the Parliament effectively keep? To answer these questions, the article is divided into three parts. The first part presents a literature review of Europe's historical actions and movements toward Latin America and of the development of Mercosur, the second part considers the central policies carried out by the EU in the attempt to export its model, and the third part compares some features of the European Parliament and the Mercosur Parliament to identify the achievements of the institutional transfer

Differentiation theory and the ontologies of regionalism in Latin America

“…Mercosur has therefore demonstrated the limits of "institutional mimesis", as the process has been aptly called, stopping far short of the political and legal supranationalism that characterizes the EU and its parliamentary component, and does apparently not seek to replicate it despite repeated claims to the contrary (Dri 2010). Its institutional deepening is now often considered to have stalled.…”

A comparative reassessment of regional parliaments in Latin America: Parlasur, Parlandino and Parlatino

“…Notable in this sense has been the establishment of relations with the European Parliament, due to the European Union's support to the institutionalisation of Parlasur's Secretariat (Dri 2010), as well as the meetings and visits to other Latin American regional parliaments -such as Parlandino and Parlatino. This body, moreover, has established a locus for national parliamentarians and political parties of member states to interact and develop common ideological and identity linkages (Caetano et al 2009).…”

“…When processes are considered similar, a tendency arises to view the more advanced ones (by being older or more ambitious) as references or models, as is the case with the EU. However, differences in objectives and the degree of commitment of participants are often overlooked (Dri 2010;Lenz 2012).…”

Multilayered International Parliamentarism: The Case of EU-Brazil Relations

“…106 Still, although Conference meetings played a part in 'guiding the legislative acts and the political initiatives' of the EP towards Latin America, MEPs themselves recognise that this forum has 'little influence on parliamentary activity', which is why this forum focused on political dialogue and exchange of views more than on policy making and legislative initiatives. 107 Nonetheless, the EP was seen in Latin America as a driver of bilateral relations, whereby MEPs sought to insert this region on the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy agenda. 108 The Conference was superseded by EuroLat.…”

“…101 This Conference, held every other year, helped tighten the historical, economic and cultural links between the European and Latin American regions and increase the parliamentarians' knowledge of the political systems of the partner region. 102 The key role of the Conference was to promote democracy, human rights protection and development in Latin America on the basis of European experiences. 103 The Conference also recurrently examined the problem of Latin American external debt.…”