The Vertical and Horizontal Dimensions of Regional Integration: A Concluding Note

Regional integration has two dimensions: the first I call the vertical dimension of regional institutional arrangements; it distinguishes primarily between two models, the intergovernmental institutional model and the supranational institutional model of regional integration. The second is the horizontal dimension of regional institutional arrangements; it describes the process of delegation of policy tasks from regional intergovernmental organizations to private-sector agencies to achieve faster and deeper economic integration. Most studies collected in this volume focus on the vertical dimension; few discuss the growing importance and promise of the horizontal dimension of regional integration. The purpose of this note is to highlight the key features of the horizontal dimension and illustrate its operation in practice.