Engagement with the EU by the Local and Regional Authorities from South east Europe

Jasmina Džinić; Carlo Panara

Jasmina Džinić
Carlo Panara Centre for the Study of Law in Theory and Practice, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7740-5271

Keywords: local and regional authorities, Southeast Europe, European Union, NALAS, multilevel gov-ernance

Abstract

This is the first and at present only study on the direct engagement with the EU by the local and regional authorities from Southeast Europe. Its purpose is explaining why and how these authorities engage directly with the EU. This knowledge is crucial to understand the governance of this region which is one of the most important for the future enlargement of the EU and which is key to peace and stability in Europe. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews of officials from associations of local and regional authorities from Southeast Europe and other relevant actors (Network of Associations of Local Authorities from South-East Europe, Committee of the Regions, EU Commission). This article also innovates multi-level governance theory, traditionally mostly limited to the analysis of sub-national authorities from longstanding EU member states.