RIKS is a web-based portal on regional integration on a world-wide level targeting a relatively broad public, students worldwide being the main category. As a portal, it offers information on regional integration from different viewpoints. It includes general information about regional arrangements and their members (qualitative information), statistical data in form of different indicators, an overview of academic resources as well as a section where actual news on regional integration processes are presented on a constantly updated basis.

The qualitative data section provides a basic description of regional arrangements and their members. RIKS also provides quantitative data on regional arrangements. For over 60 regional arrangements, indicators are available, covering the period 1970–2005 for most of them. Currently, the indicators include: regional GDP, regional share in world GDP, regional population, regional share in world population, intra-regional trade share, trade intensity index, symmetric trade introversion index. In the research section of RIKS links are provided to major journals and research centers dealing with regional integration. The news section under construction will provide a continuously updated source of news in the broad field of regional integration and related topics.

Contact Persons: Philippe De Lombaerde, Birger Fühne and Lurong Chen