Scholars have started looking outside Europe to understand how other regions' ability to 'act' in world politics ('actorness') enables inter-regional relations. Yet, it remains unclear what we can generalize about the European experience, and what is particular to Europe. This paper presents a case that challenges the current conception of regional actorness. Inter-regionalism between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia-New Zealand (acting as the 'Closer Economic Relations' or 'CER' group) began in the mid-1990s and produced an inter-regional FTA. Yet, economic integration between Australia and New Zealand—while deep—has not produced a centralized regional organization, but a network of issue-specific institutions. This case demonstrates that regional ‘actorness’ need not require a formal organization as is usually assumed. A network of issue-specific regional institutions and a regional identity provided the means and motivation for Australia and New Zealand to act jointly with ASEAN.
