Multi-Level Governance in the European Union

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Multi-Level Governance in the European UnionContents1Purpose of the Study21.1Definition of the Term Multi-Level Governance22The Evolvement of Multi-Level Governance23Authority Levels33.1Supranational Level33.2National Level63.3Regional Level74Implementation of Multi-Level Governance95Theories of Governance95.1Intergovernmentalism105.2Supranationalism115.3Implication116Discussion136.1Interaction Between the Different Levels136.2MLG as a Tool in a Future Super state?157Final Conclusion178List of References181Purpose of the study this study aims to examine the role of multi-level governance in the EU today. It provides an overview of the diverse institutions and levels which are assembled in the European Union and discussion of their interaction. Additionally a brief overview of the emerge of the multi-level governance theory will be provided. The study will conclude with an outlook of how the system of governance of the EU may look like in the future under, possibly, a European Constitution.

1.1Definition of the Term Multi-Level governance the notion of multi-level governance (MLG) describes a new architecture of governance. It is implemented on several differently linked vertical and horizontal levels (e.g.

Committees, intergovernmental cooperation, Council of Ministers and Council of Europe) of international political linkage. This results from the segmentation of European Politics, which complicates the acting of different players. On this way a multi-level system of governance emerged in Europe which is characterized by1. The strong institutional implementation between national and supranational bodies2. Its multi-level character of institutions3. A presence of significant decision-making competences for the national states.

2The Evolvement of Multi-Level governance the theory of Multi-Level-Governance had not been developed before the Single European Act of Luxembourg and The Hague came into force in 1987. Prior hardly any supranational institutions existed. Most were exclusively or at least partly of intergovernmental kind as designed by the original Treaty of Rome. The influence of the European institutions was limited and the decision-procedure turned out to prevent integration as the Community’s members doubled by 1986. The enlargement, the indented...