Integration of European and African Unions: Comparative Analysis

Introduction . Amid the large-scale transformation of the global political and economic order, the importance of regional integration organizations is increasing, as they provide broad opportunities for strengthening states’ positions on the international stage, ensuring strategic autonomy, protecting national interests, creating resilient economic spaces, maintaining peace and stability in their regions, and improving the quality of life of their citizens. Over the past decade, the African Union (AU) has significantly stepped up its activities, forming its own integration model, partly based on the experience of the European Union (EU). A comparison of the AU and EU shows that they are two qualitatively different integration associations, which were created under different historical, institutional, and socio-economic conditions. Materials and methods . The normative basis of the study includes the founding treaties and legally binding instruments of the EU and AU, protocols, decisions of their institutions, as well as soft-law instruments. The methodological framework is composed of general scientific and special methods, including the comparative legal, formal legal, formal logical, structural- functional, and systemic methods. Research results. A comparative analysis has revealed profound differences in the preconditions, value bases, institutional architecture, and financing mechanisms of the EU and the AU. The EU demonstrates stability thanks to its developed system of supranational justice, political culture of solidarity, and common legal order. In contrast, the institutional mechanisms of the AU are still in their infancy. The divisions between African states created by colonial powers and the AU's financial dependence on external donors also significantly limit the continent's integration potential. Discussion and conclusion . Despite the AU’s partial orientation toward elements of the European model, African integration is evolving along its own distinct trajectory. The AU’s successful development depends on strengthening its financial autonomy, enhancing the political will of its member states and establishing effective legal mechanisms that ensure compliance with obligations. The experience of the EU confirms the central role of law and supranational institutions as key drivers of successful integration, making their development a priority direction for the African Union.