SCOPES AND CHALLENGES FOR REGIONAL INTEGRATION: COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE AMONG THE SOUTH AMERICAN REGIONAND THE EUROPEAN UNION

This volume, Scopes and Challenges for Regional Integration: A Comparative Perspective with the European Union (EU), is the result of research carried out within the Jean Monnet Module "EU Cultural Diplomacy in the Andean Community" (2020-2023). The paper addresses, in essence, the process of regional integration through the creation of EU institutions that respond to common problems that go beyond and cross national borders. While the supranational structure of the European Union is clearly defined, in South America there are several regional integration initiatives - such as the Andean Community, the Amazonian Parliament and Mercosur - that are still in development. They face multiple challenges, including cultural diversity, difficulties in intercultural dialogue, energy management, migration, citizens' insecurity, the illicit economy, criminal organizations and the weakness of democratic institutions.The European Union's experience and expertise in regional integration can serve as models for managing diversity, promoting integration, reducing communication barriers and identifying ways of cross-border cooperation.