Sub‐National Mobilization and European Integration: Does it Make any Difference?

Abstract

Work on multi-level governance has refashioned conceptions in political science of EU politics and policy-making, giving due weight for the first time to the importance of sub-national actors. This article builds on the pioneering contributions on multi-level governance by Gary Marks and others to develop a framework for analysis rooted in the functions of sub-national authorities in their domestic political contexts. This domestic politics approach to multilevel governance is then developed, through consideration of a series of variables, to address a question which has rarely been posed hitherto: do the EU-focused activities of sub-national governments actually make any difference in the structure of authoritative decision-making in the EU?

All by themselves? Legislative regions and the use of unmediated access to the European level

“…This was an important step; the EU's regions vary on a wide variety of factors and -as a consequence -do not all act in the same way (Hooghe and Marks 2001: 82, 92;Jeffery 2000).…”

“…Marks, Haesly and Mbaye 2002;Marks et al 1996;Jeffery 1997;Jeffery 2000;Nielsen and Salk 1998;Moore 2006). However, while early studies argue that greater constitutional strength has a positive impact on the lobbying activities of a region (Marks et al 1996;Nielsen and Salk 1998;Marks, Haesly and Mbaye 2002), Tatham (2010) suggests that regions with a greater number of competences are less likely to engage in conflictual strategies in Brussels and more likely to cooperate with their central governments.…”

The European Union and the autonomy of sub-national authorities: Towards an analysis of constraints and opportunities in sub-national decision-making

“…The EU would strengthen the position of SNAs (though not necessarily all, see Jeffery, 2000) as it is a new opportunity to raise money and realize ambitions. Another characteristic is the object of analysis: networks at the European level involving a specific economic area, or large SNAs obviously having large economic and European interests (like port cities) with a history of activities in the European arena.…”

“…The 'uneven distribution of say and pay' (Börzel, 1999: 593), which results from this 'institutional bias' against regions (Bourne, 2003: 600 -601), is not necessarily compensated by the opportunities mentioned by multi-level governance scholars. The (remaining) domestic legal-constitutional powers of a region appear to determine the extent to which there is successful 'sub-national mobilization' (Jeffery, 2000). In her empirical case study on the Basque region, Bourne (2003) argues that the EU indeed has diminished regional autonomy.…”

“…Some advocate that due to European integration regions are gaining a relatively stronger position against central government (Jeffery, 2000). Others stipulate that central governments lose prominence in favour of the EU and that more and more national legislation has Correspondence Address: F. Fleurke, Professor of Public Administration, Department of Public Administration and Organization Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.…”