Stronger economically but still divided. Emerging economies are today just a club, and Europe should exploit these divisions
by Emanuele Bonini
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. We talk about five large countries where economy reached the highest rate of growth rate in the world in the past decade. Now these same countries forging links among themselves and calling greater recognition of their weight at international level. But are the BRICS countries a bloc or a bubble?, asked the European Parliament in a report. Is the group here to stay? In Europe the impression is these five countries «are a long way from planning any kind of integration». Rather than to do that, «they want to exploit the "power-multiplier" potential of their group to pursue their own national agendas». Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa together stand powerful in terms of dimensions, demography and economy. They encompass 26,6% of the world's land and 42,5% of the world's population. In 2013, their GDP was 21.1% of world GDP. They represent around 20% of world trade, and intra-BRICS trade is growing fast, from €20 billion in 2002 to €210 billion in 2012 (though more commodities than industrial goods), with a target of € 380 billion in 2015. However, recalls the European Parliament, these countries do not share a common geographical context, nor constitute a trading block, nor are they united by cultural affinities or historical ties.
Will be BRICS able to build huge cohesion? The analysis made by the European Parliament cannot offer any answer to this question, but what is written on the document can offer some useful point. China, India and Russia - all of them nuclear powers - are neighbouring countries, have border disputes and are in competition in several areas, including in obtaining African resources. Furthermore, when voting in the UN General Assembly, the BRICS countries have so far succeeded in coordinating their positions only in around 60% of cases. This is why the common consideration is right now BRICS are «a "political club" rather than a bloc, whose purported unity masks deep divergences in world views». Something not surprising, if we consider after more than fifty years of integration the European Union still finds problem in having a common international position. Given this internal division and the fact the EU does not recognise the BRICS as a group and maintains bilateral relations with each of them, the European Parliament - recognising the differences among the group members - call the EU to develop single separate bilateral synergies. Europe can compete only in this way.
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. We talk about five large countries where economy reached the highest rate of growth rate in the world in the past decade. Now these same countries forging links among themselves and calling greater recognition of their weight at international level. But are the BRICS countries a bloc or a bubble?, asked the European Parliament in a report. Is the group here to stay? In Europe the impression is these five countries «are a long way from planning any kind of integration». Rather than to do that, «they want to exploit the "power-multiplier" potential of their group to pursue their own national agendas». Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa together stand powerful in terms of dimensions, demography and economy. They encompass 26,6% of the world's land and 42,5% of the world's population. In 2013, their GDP was 21.1% of world GDP. They represent around 20% of world trade, and intra-BRICS trade is growing fast, from €20 billion in 2002 to €210 billion in 2012 (though more commodities than industrial goods), with a target of € 380 billion in 2015. However, recalls the European Parliament, these countries do not share a common geographical context, nor constitute a trading block, nor are they united by cultural affinities or historical ties.
Will be BRICS able to build huge cohesion? The analysis made by the European Parliament cannot offer any answer to this question, but what is written on the document can offer some useful point. China, India and Russia - all of them nuclear powers - are neighbouring countries, have border disputes and are in competition in several areas, including in obtaining African resources. Furthermore, when voting in the UN General Assembly, the BRICS countries have so far succeeded in coordinating their positions only in around 60% of cases. This is why the common consideration is right now BRICS are «a "political club" rather than a bloc, whose purported unity masks deep divergences in world views». Something not surprising, if we consider after more than fifty years of integration the European Union still finds problem in having a common international position. Given this internal division and the fact the EU does not recognise the BRICS as a group and maintains bilateral relations with each of them, the European Parliament - recognising the differences among the group members - call the EU to develop single separate bilateral synergies. Europe can compete only in this way.
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