In this master's thesis, I examine the interregionalism of the European Union in South America through the case of its cooperation with Mercosur and Brazil. Using an analysis of the EU's foreign policy objectives and the functions of interregionalism as conceptualized by Mathew Doidge, I address the research question regarding the competitiveness or complementarity of the pure interregionalism between the EU and Mercosur and the hybrid interregionalism between the EU and Brazil. In the theoretical part of the thesis, I define the EU as a foreign policy actor and as a region, followed by the conceptualization of regional actorness and a more detailed conceptualization of interregionalism and its functions. After describing the historical context of the EU’s external actions, within which interregionalism is formed, I provide an overview of the historical development of EU relations with South America – specifically with Mercosur as a regional organization and with Brazil as the leading country in the region. In the empirical part, I analyze and interpret the EU's foreign policy objectives in relation to Mercosur and Brazil and then identify and analyze the functions of the two selected forms of interregionalism. Although the functions of EU-Mercosur and EU-Brazil interregionalism are complementary, based on the competitiveness of foreign policy goals and considering geopolitical realities, I conclude that the analyzed interregionalisms cannot successfully coexist. In other words, they are not complementary, but rather competitive.
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