Areas of economic and political freedoms have developed within a context of globalisation. Such areas are a testament to a cooperative and integrative dynamism that spurs different continents. The areas are managed by homogeneous international organisations to which member states have ceded competences for the purpose of resolving difficulties that exceed the power of a state acting alone.
More often than not, the ceded competences are economic and/or monetary but can also cover different fields such as culture or human rights.
The e

xercise of these competences expedites the integration process which becomes evident through the existence of new institutional structures with independent means for achieving common objectives. These institutional structures develop new powers, especially legislative and judicial in nature.
Those powers, as well as the member states of the integrated bodies, are subject to human rights which should be promoted and defended. Human rights, being both values and objectives, become a fundamental element to integration.
The European Union and European Convention on Human Rights are palpable examples of this phenomenon. It has developed in Africa and the Americas through regional and sub-regional organisations.
Because of its longer existence and extent of development, European integration constitutes a notable model. Can it serve as a source of positive and negative inspiration for other continents?


The objective of the Europe Capitole Centre of Excellence’s

programme  is to study the place and role of fundamental freedoms in European integration.