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

Abstract

To cite this Article Fleurke, Frederik and Willemse, Rolf(2006) Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. ABSTRACT This paper explores what is known about the actual impact of the EU on sub-national (local and regional) government. Existing research on the impact of the EU on sub-national authorities appears to have a strong emphasis on the positive effects or the opportunities that emanate from the EU. By contrast, studies on European constraints that limit sub-national autonomy are rather scarce. Moreover, many studies fail to take sub-national government itself as the object of analysis, as a result of which most conclusions are rather hypothetical in nature. Trying to fill the lacunas in the existing literature, the authors present a conceptual framework that includes three dimensions along which the EU might influence sub-national decision-making: by enforcement or invitation, by hampering or improvement, and by obstruction or enabling. A pilot study found that nearly each of these types of influence was present, indicating the conceptual sensitivity and empirical relevance of the three dimensions.

Support from below? Supranational institutions, regional élites and governance preferences

“…Such an interpretation is supported by case study analyses that highlight that a number of stateless nations have perceived European integration as a threat to their power base (Bourne 2003(Bourne , 2004Fleurke and Willemse 2006). It is not possible to test for the interaction term between the presence of a regionalist party and the perception of the region as a nation due to collinearity problems, as there are no cases within our sample of stateless nations without a regionalist party (though the reverse does occur).…”

“…A long list of Basque competences has effectively been lost” (Bourne 2003, 616). While Bourne rightly points out that different dynamics may be at play in different countries, it is equally likely that findings based on the Basque case could be expanded to most similar regions, be they Spanish, Italian, French or Belgian (see Burgess and Vollaard 2006; Fleurke and Willemse 2006; Raccah 2008). Concurrently, a number of authors have similarly questioned the reality of the new opportunities available to regions as a result of European integration.…”

Local Responses to the European Social Fund: A Cross‐City Comparison of Usage and Change

“…However, what is still lacking are broad comparative studies on the local actors who are – without being officially in charge of ESF‐related tasks – affected by the entire governance package of the ESF (that is, the monetary incentives, the procedural requirements and the programmatic conditions) in their everyday business. This lack is striking, since evidence from numerous case studies and some smaller comparative samples points towards a decisive role of structural funding at the local level (for example, Fleurke and Willemse, for the Netherlands; Pop and Radu, for Romania; van Gerven et al, for the Netherlands and Spain; Baun and Marek, for the new Member States; Graziano, for Italy; or Marshall, for Britain). These studies show that sub‐national authorities, NGOs (non‐governmental organizations), social partners or service providers are closely involved in structural funding and often crucially affected by it.…”

Effects of the European Union on Sub‐National Decision‐Making: Enhancement or Constriction?

“…An example is the inclusion of a new recreational waterway in a zoning plan -perceived as necessary for the tourist development of the area -which is later overruled by the province because it is adverse to the EU Bird Directive: this is an indirectly obstructed decision (compare the idea of hampering, in which case the water way will be constructed but in an adjusted manner). As an adaptation of the initial framework of Fleurke & Willemse (2006a), obstruction does not necessarily lead only to (formal) non-decision making, but may also imply (halfway) unfinished or abandoned decision making.…”

“…Initially Fleurke & Willemse (2006a) used the concept of improvement, but in order to prevent ending up in a normative discussion on what is good or bad according to whom, the term facilitation is now preferred -with its more neutral connotation. An example of a directly facilitated decision is when local officials welcome the obligation of a public tender because it reduces the risk of clientelism and because it realizes a free market.…”