林宜亭：An Examination on the Integration theories of the European Union
Christine Ie-Ting Lin
Universiteit Leiden, MIRD
As the integration of Europe has been credited as the most successful experience in regional integration, and with various theories in International Relations attempt on giving the integration process a theoretical discourse, the study of European integration has been thrived ever since, and also taken as the module of other regional integration process. This essay will discuss the comparative advantages of the theoretical approaches of functionalism, neo-functionalism, and federalism to explain European integration and the enlargement of the European Union[1]. The selection of the theoretical approaches is based on Lelieveldt and Princen’s categorisation of subcategories of European integration study respectively on the integration and political theories of the European integration[2].