European Journal of Scientific Research (ISSN: 1450 ... - EuroJournals

© European Journal of Scientific Research, Vol 7, No 5, 2005
A COMPARATIVE APPROACH TO SECURITY: THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE
GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL
Mazen K. Gharaibeh
Department of Political Science
Kuwait University
ABSTRACT
This paper provides a comparative analysis of the European Union (EU) and the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC). It compares and contrasts the history, development, organizational
structure, function, successes and failures. Basis of similarities include and attempt to secure
political and defense cooperation through economic integration, while differences include
profound contrasts in members' structure, organizational designs as well as political and social
traditions.
Key Words: EU, GCC, Integration, Functionalism.
INTRODUCTION
Scholars consider integration as a successful approach to security and peace. One can't but be
inspired with the European Union's (ED) multicultural integration transcending to the economy,
politics, industry, citizens rights and foreign policy. Four decades after six Western European
states (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, and West Germany) Signed the
Treaty of Rome and thereby created the EEC. (European Economic Community) or common
Market, the much expanded group of nations (now 25) and known as the European Union (EU)
have nearly completed their goal of economic, political, and social integration and has become
the model for regional integration schemes (Caporaso, 1996). Nations around the world have
looked to the EU as a model in formulating their own free trade areas, customs unions, common
defense policies, and programs for regional integration.
On the other hand, one tan observe another important, yet modest, attempt for integration
presented by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with its six states calling for coordination and
cooperation in various fields. In 1981, when the six nations in the Arabian Gulf - Bahrain,
Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - came together to
form the Gulf Cooperation Council, they too, acknowledged inspiration from the experience of
the European Community (Sandwick, 1987). And while the GCC, which is intended to be of
much more limited scope than the EU, has encountered its own problems and barriers in pursuing
its integration and cooperation program (e.g., territorial disputes amongst the members, domestic
unrest, security threats, political conflicts in establishing a common defense strategy, etc.),
scholars have nevertheless lauded the accomplishments of the GCC so far (Baabood, 2003). As
John Duke Anthony, former President and CEO of the National Council on U. S. - Arab
Relations noted a few years ago:
It is widely acknowledged that in terms of measurable cooperation on region-wide issues of
interest and concern to its members, the GCC has already achieved more than the European
Economic Commission (EEC) did in its first decade... Beyond its political and economic