Stemming from an international and multidisciplinary network of leading specialists, this text situates the European Community/European Union (EC/EU) and its external relations in the framework of the development of different forms of regional arrangements, within the globalized world of the 21st century. - - Features include: - - A distinctive collection of original contributions by established scholars providing the reader with a comparative analysis of regional arrangements - - Vigorous response to conventional wisdom on EU international identity - - Explores the key issues of regionalism versus globalization and the potential for world economic and political governance through regionalism - - These features make the book a key resource for postgraduate or undergraduate study and research of international relations, European studies, comparative politics and international political economy.