A importância de instituições supranacionais para processos de integração regional: o Mercosul à luz do neofuncionalismo e do intergovernamentalismo liberal

Abstract

The following article seeks to investigate the role of supranational institutions in processes of regional integration. Based on Neofunctionalism and Liberal Institutionalism, we are led to believe that the existence of said institutions are paramount to the genesis and sustaining of integration. Using Mercosur as our case study, we explore the normative production and mobilisation of its main decision-making institutions (CMC, GMC, CCM) and of its Dispute Resolution System to better understand their dynamics and processes as well as the relationship between the regional "legal order" and its national counterparts, in the hopes of shedding light over how the intergovernmental structure of Mercosur impacts the organisation. We conclude that, in accordance with the above-mentioned theories, supranational institutions are necessary elements – be it from a definitional or practical point-of-view – to the establishment and maintaining of more ambitious or complex regional cooperation processes (such as those that aspire to the creation of a common market, which demands a somewhat centralised level of normative production and monitoring). That said, we point out that notwithstanding its relative importance, the mere presence of supranational institutions does not guarantee the success or efficacy of any integration process given the existence of many other determining factors.