Europeanization and Institutional Compatibility: Implementing European Regional Policy (original) (raw)

Partnership', which views European policy-making as a process in which authorities from different levels of government and semi-public actors act as partners in pursuit of a common goal, can be viewed as a European institution that the European Commission has sought to give normative content. By distinguishing between different levels of the European policy process, this paper offers an account of the impact 'partnership' has had at different stages of the policymaking process. Analysing evidence from the operation of the Structural Funds in the new German Länder, it is shown that 'partnership' can have strong mobilisation/legitimisation effects vis-à-vis subnational actors in the European policy process-effects which national authorities sometimes find difficult to control. It is also shown, however, that there can exist formidable obstacles to the implementation of 'partnership' in the Member States. Analysing the interactions of European and entrenched domestic institutions, the paper challenges the often presumed compatibility between 'partnership and Germany's cooperative federalism. 'close consultation [...] between the Commission, the Member State concerned and the competent authorities designated by the latter at national, regional, local or other level, with each party acting as a partner in pursuit of a common goal'. 3 The underlying rationale for this new emphasis on 'partnership' was the increasing recognition These interviews were complemented by interviews with representatives from subregional authorities and the economic and social partners. Most of the interviews were conducted between July 1997 and July 1998 2 The importance of this principle was recognised by the Commission at the time. In the guide to the 1988 reform of the Structural Funds, the Commission stresses that 'partnership' is 'the key principle underlying the reform of the Funds in that it determines the implementation of the other principles' (European Commission 1989: 14). 3 See the preamble to the 'Framework Regulation' (EEC 2052/88).

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