Regional organizations are intergovernmental organizations with a specific geographical focus. They were established after World War II to promote and improve cooperation and political and economic integration among states within a region or a continent. The growing number of regional organizations points to the increasing need for closer cooperation between states in the same region in solving problems that, because of their transnational dimensions, exceed the problem-solving capabilities of individual states, and which are not sufficiently addressed by global institutions. Regional organizations thus serve as a forum for the states in the region to discuss common issues and devise solutions to those issues. The most common examples of regional organizations in Europe are the OSCE, the Council of Europe (CoE), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the supranational European Union (EU). With the notable exception of the EU, regional organizations generally do not prescribe mandatory actions to be taken by their members but create space for a collective exchange of ideas and establish political guidelines and recommendations for member states on issues of common concern.