Multi-level Governance: Constitutional Reform and British Sub-national Government Engagement in Europe

A key feature in the current debate about governance in the European Union (EU) is the proposition that traditional forms of government, based upon distinctive and separate layers or tiers of responsibility at the supra national, national and sub-national levels, are too rigid and fail to take account of the interdependence and overlapping competencies of different spheres. At the subnational level, for example, there are profound problems in reconciling the complex, multifaceted problems of territory with the conventional functional, hierarchical organisation of government (Burgess et al 2001). The implication is that both vertical and horizontal linkages in the system of governance need to be strengthened through improved communication, to enhance collective learning and the effectiveness of policy making and implementation processes. ‘Let us start thinking of a ‘Network Europe’, with all levels of governance shaping, proposing, implementing and monitoring policy together’ (Prodi 2000).