Abstract
"While the Mercosur states have remained attached to a Westphalian image (Mittelman, 1996: 197), regional networks may provide the necessary information and coordination in policy-making that the former cannot. Business actors' participation has taken place to the extent described in this paper partly because of the lack of mechanisms for representation and participation in policy-making, whether a supra-national bureaucracy or a regional parliament. The question that lies ahead is whether Mercosur's "open regionalism" should limit its "openness" to the economic sphere, or whether extend it to involve the regional population at large. This question bears a systemic implication, for Mercosur's long-term sustainability rests on its legitimacy and the broader support and involvement of society."