Regional integration can be described as the union of a geological area, the main theme running through the efforts is that of cooperation. Hence regional integration is the interaction and cooperation of various countries in a specific region working together in order to foster their own well being, the idea of integration suggests unity and teamwork. On the other hand, regional integration also refers to an outcome, occurring when pre set criteria are met. Regional integration involves some compromise on the part of nation states, but should enhance the general quality of life for the citizens of those states. Regional integration can be described as a dynamic process that entails a country’s willingness to share or unify into a larger whole. The degree to which it shares and what it shares determines the level of integration.

Exploration of the factors promoting regional integration within the Caribbean * Common language - The language of the Caribbean people is English, and this facilitates easy communication. * Close Proximity - The Caribbean countries are relatively close to each other, hence, travel by air or sea from one country to another can be done in a relatively short space of time. * Caribbean countries share a common history - Most of the Caribbean people are descendants of people who had been subjected to slavery and indentureship. This makes it possible for the Caribbean people to embrace each other. * Common Cultural Heritage - The Caribbean people share a common culture in terms of language, dress, music, cuisine and general lifestyle. All these features make the integration process smoother. * Small population - The Caribbean countries are at a disadvantage when competing against international markets because of their small size. Thus, coming together makes it easier to influence international markets. * The Limited human and physical resources available in the Caribbean region necessitate the pooling and trading of these resources among Caribbean countries. * Common economic, political and social problem - The Caribbean countries encounter similar problems, inclusive of, but not limited to unemployment, difficulty in accessing international markets, lack of adequate capital, poor housing and inadequate health facilities. * The common challenges of Globalization and Trade Liberalization - Companies all over the world are doing business in many countries, filtrating into the Caribbean region creating unwelcomed competition. The Caribbean government can no longer restrict extra-regional imports to protect regional manufacturers/companies, hence, Caribbean businesses are required to amalgamate or face ruin. * The increase in the number of trading blocs - Across the world, economic groupings and trading blocs are being established where a large number of countries are linked by special trading arrangements among them. For example, the European Union (E.U.) The Caribbean is required to do the same to ensure productivity and continuity in its economic growth.

The following factors have hindered the integration process of the Caribbean region:

* Absence of common model or strategy for development - Caricom member states have pursued different strategies for political and economic development. There are some that depend on agriculture, another on tourism, one on petroleum. The fact that the varying countries are placing different emphasis on different strategies suggests that a common policy will not exist and countries will only be interested in policies that relates to the strategy they are pursuing. Jamaica would be more interested in debating a common policy on tourism or agriculture because they depend on those for economic development, but would generate little or no interest in a policy on petroleum because they do not pursue such for development. * Differences in stages of growth and development - The fact that the Caribbean countries pursue different strategies for development means that they will all be at different levels of growth and development. The less developed countries are hesitant to trade with the more developed countries because of fear that they might be at a disadvantage. Such fear has led to the delay in the implementation of certain factors that would ensure or facilitate the integration process. * Competition for location of industries - The government of each Member States wants what is best for their country; such aspiration usually leads to competition between the countries for the location of new industries. The competition often times evolves into envy and jealousy among member states. * Conflict between territorial and regional demands and loyalties (Insularity) - The Caribbean countries tend to be more interested in satisfying the immediate needs of the residence within their countries than attending to the demands of the region. The member states work hard to attain international attention as an individual country than working together as a part of Caricom to attain the same. * Absence of Common Currency - The value of the money in each Caribbean country is different. There are some member states that do not accept the currency of others. In this regard, Caricom residents travelling through the region have to obtain the relevant currency. A common currency would provide for greater level of integration. * Unequal distribution of resources - Some member states are blessed with more natural resources than others. Those countries that are abundant in natural resources have utilized the income gained from this wealth for their country's benefit rather than for regional benefit. * Lack of diversification in production - It is interesting to note that most of the Caricom member states produce similar products. Most of the member states are dependent on agriculture; therefore, they process and manufacture products from sugar cane, bananas, cocoa, coffee and ground provisions. This puts constraint on intra- regional trade. * Influence of multinational corporations - Trans-national corporations have contributed to some of the Caricom Member states running a foul to the objectives of Caricom. Those corporations enter individual member states and bargain with individual governments to grant special benefits such as tax free holidays, repatriation of profits, duty free on raw materials among other things. Those benefits, most times, run contrary to the objectives of Caricom.

The major stages of regional integration in the Caribbean are free trade, custom union, common market, economic union and political union.

The earliest attempt at integration in the Caribbean was the West Indies Federation. The idea however failed through unwillingness through Trinidad and Tobago to accept aspects of the political union. This was established in 1958, and ended in 1962. The reason for failure varied from the lack of communication, to envy and jealously among member states.

With the signing of the treaty of Chaguramas in 1973 and the subsequent adherence of all of the members’ countries of the Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA), the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom) was created, and the Caribbean Integration movements became the first example of a free trade area moving to a custom union. This change provides an appropriate context for the study of the politics of regional integration. A free-trade area (FTA) is a trade bloc whose member countries have signed a free-trade agreement (FTA), which eliminates tariffs, import quotas, and preferences on most (if not all) goods and services traded between them. The first free trade association within the Caribbean was (CARIFTA).

The Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) was founded by Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago on 15 December 1965, with the signing of the Dickenson Bay Agreement (the Agreement establishing the Caribbean Free Trade Association). They were joined on 1 July, 1968 by Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines; and on 1 August, 1968 by Montserrat and Jamaica. In 1971 Belize (then British Honduras) joined the Association. The Caribbean Free Trade Association was created to try to boost relations between the various Caribbean islands. One of the reasons of the formation of the CARIFTA was to increase the quota and variety of goods able to be sold.

CARIFTA was intended to encourage balanced development of the Region by:

• increasing trade - buying and selling more goods among the Member States

• diversifying trade - expanding the variety of goods and services available for trade

• Liberalizing trade - removing tariffs and quotas on goods produced and traded within the area

• ensuring fair competition - setting up rules for all members to follow to protect the smaller enterprises

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In 1973 CARIFTA became outdated by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Treaty of Chaguaramas declared that CARIFTA would cease to exist on 1 May 1974.
A Customs Union also known as Common Market creates a wider trading area, removes obstacles to competition, makes possible a more economic allocation of resources, and thus operates to increase production and raise standards of living. Caricom, a customs union and also a common market is a type of a regional trade agreement. This agreement was signed on July 4th 1973, at Chaguaramas in Trinidad, but came into operation on August 1, 1973.

This multi-lateral agreement is also known as the Treaty of Chaguramas, there were four signatories, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, and Barbados. To date Caricom has been extended to include other countries such as Bahamas, Belize, St Kitts, and so on. Caricom objectives are to foster economic and social development by encouraging free trade. Its major activities involve coordinating economic policies and development planning, devising and instituting special projects for the less-developed countries within its jurisdiction, operating as a regional single market for many of its member and handling regional trade disputes.

N.B a custom union and a common market is basically the same thing. Therefore I used caricom for both of them

There are many benefits to be derived from being a member of Caricom: * Reduction in unemployment and underemployment - The removal of the barriers to intra-regional trade among member states of Caricom increases employment in the region as consumers buy more regionally produced goods. Buying regionally produce goods ensure that jobs are maintained or created because of the demand. * Increased market size - Caricom is committed to trade within the region. Therefore, integration provides a larger market for individual member state. * Free movement of goods, labour and capital - All goods which meet the Caricom standards are traded duty free throughout the region, therefore, all goods created within the region can be traded without restrictions. There is also an agreed upon policy called The Caribbean Community Free Movement of Persons Act enacted in all CSME member states. Under this Act, it allows for the free movement of certain categories of skilled workers, which will later evolve into the free movement of all persons across the CSME member states. There is also a move to eliminate the various restrictions such as foreign exchange controls which will allow for the free movement of capital across the CSME member states. This will allow for the convertibility of currencies or a single currency and capital market integration. * Better response to economic implications of globalization and trade liberalization - The act of the larger international companies doing business across the world and in the Caribbean has forced the Caribbean businesses to amalgamate in order to survive, thus creating a greater sense of unity. Caribbean governments can no longer protect the regional manufacturers by restricting extra-regional imports, as such; the Caribbean people have been encouraged to support regional manufacturers. Regional manufacturers have improved their products and services, and this has made it possible for them to compete with producers in developed countries. * Improved levels of international competitiveness - Caricom has a stronger, more persuasive voice on international matters than as individual countries. The size of a country dictates to its power, and the integrated approach of the Caribbean countries has lent to greater influence on the international scene. Individual member states are too small to withstand economic competition from more developed countries and trading blocs. A united voice among member states has resulted in better prices for extra-regional exports and cheaper prices for imports to the region from other international sources. * Increased co-operation among member states -The Integration process among member states of Caricom has allowed for greater co-operation and utilization of the services offered by the different institutions of the organization. * Improvement in the quality of life - The increased job opportunities accrued through the cooperative effort of the Caribbean states have led to job creation and economic development and a consequent increase in the quality of life for the Caribbean people

An economic union is a type of trade bloc which is comprises of a common market with a customs union. The participant countries have both common policies on product regulation, freedom movement of goods, services and the factors of production (capital and labour) and a common external trade policy. The countries often share a common currency.
Purposes for establishing an economic union normally include increasing economic efficiency and establishing closer political and cultural ties between the member countries. An example of an economic union within the Caribbean is the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). The CSME was created by the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. The (CSME) is an arrangement by which caricom members states have agreed to deepen the integration process and strengthen the Caribbean community in all areas. This new arrangement has come about, as a result of the challenges and opportunities which globalization and trade liberalization will create for caricom member states.

Objectives of CSME

* To improve the standard of living and work.

* Full employment of labour and other factors of production

* Accelerate coordinating and sustain economic

* Enhanced levels of international competitiveness

* Intensify activities in areas such as health, education, transportation, and tele-communication

* Organization for increased production and productivity

* The achievement of a greater measure of economic leverage

* Enhance coordination of members states foreign and extra-regional policies

A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller states. This is where the individual states share a central government and the union is recognized internationally as a single political entity. A political union may also be called a legislative union or state union. As it relates to the Caribbean, a political union does not exist.

References

* Demas ( 1997) ‘WI Development and the Deepening and widening of the Caribbean Community’

* Girvan (2007) ‘Towards a single Development vision and the role of the single economy’ www.caricom.org

* Balassa, B. (1961) The Theory of Economic Integration, London, George Allen & Urwin Ltd.

* Governing Regional Integration for Development: Monitoring Experiences, Methods and Prospects” De Lombaerde P., Estevadeordal A. and Suominen K. (Eds) (Aldershot, Ashgate) 2008, page 2.

* Pollard, Duke, The Caricom System: Basic Instruments. Kingston: The Caribbean Law Publishing Company

* Griffith, Winston H. “A Tale of Four CARICOM Countries.” Journal of Economic Issues. Vol. XXXVI, No. 1. March 2002. p. 81.