There is a constant trend in the European Union for heightened pride, desire of extended autonomy and even national independence of regions. The master thesis intends to investigate the relations of selected regions in the EU member states with the European policy level. The general research question to answer is "Which regions are more successful in representing their interests vis-à-vis the European policy level?" The investigation is undertaken in a form of a comparative case study combining qualitative and quantitative research; the examined regions are - following the research hypotheses and intention to provide a multi-perspective analysis of the problem - Scotland (United Kingdom), Hessen (Germany), Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (Italy) and Středočeský kraj (Czech Republic). Based on the comparative analysis the thesis concludes that "regions with wide scope of powers on the national level (usually coming from federal or regionalized member states) with strong economic background are generally more successful in representing their interests vis-à-vis the European policy level."

This case study focuses on wind power development in Norrköping using a multi-level governance approach. The aim is to examine the wind power decision-making process from the state to Norrköping municipality and to identify other factors that impact wind power development in the area. A textual analysis comparing national political party platforms and local parties' official stances and interviews has been used to achieve this study's goal. The study shows that the decision-making in vertical multi-level governance is both bottom-up and top-down. It also sheds light on a significant role the Swedish Armed Forces play in this process as an external actor. The study concludes that vertical multi-level governance, including municipal veto, although an important factor, needs to be complemented with external factors to see how it affects wind power development in Norrköping.

This thesis is devoted to analyze the decentralization process in selected Central and Eastern European countries. Its aim is therefore to evaluate and compare the results of decentralization in selected countries in the context of European regional policy - the Europe of the regions. The basic hypothesis is that regional policy provides a sufficient incentive for the EU nation-states to launch decentralization and proceed into the establishment of regional levels of government in the form of new political entities that are institutionalized, have their own poltickou representation and play a key role in planing and implementation of the structural and cohesion funds. The hypothesis will be investigated using analysis and comparison of the results of decentralization in the five Central and Eastern European Countries: Estonia, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

The cumulative dissertation at hand addresses the question of how promising the successful implementation of the WFD is. Since research on implementation deficits has so far mainly considered national and sub-national levels, regional and local scales are taken centre stage within the dissertation. The Hase river catchment, which is located in one of Germany s most intensive livestock areas, serves as an example. The thesis shows that the procedural character of the WFD and regulative uncertainties give way to interpretation and action leeway, which will be pivotal to judgement on implementation success at lower levels. Moreover, the consistent operationalisation of nitrate limits in particular has led to major difficulties during implementation in Germany from which restraints can be expected for the preparation of river basin management plans and the program of measures. As to the regional level, implementation restraints also upraise due to socio-economic dependencies from agriculture and a high identification of the regional population with this economic sector have placed agriculture in a powerful position. In conclusion, one can state that various implementation restraints occur and the cause of these can be found at all scales European, sub-national and regional. The results of this dissertation concerning the multi-level system reveal that the relationship and interaction of the various scales will be given increased attention during the implementation process of European environmental policy. Besides the national and sub-national scale, the regional and local levels will be of equal importance. The question of suitable scales for implementation decisions and measures also offers pivotal approaches to undertake future research. Further research needs occur with new regional studies at national and international scales, with regard to the future of water protection in the course of the reform of German federalism and the current debate on climate change.

Forestry stands for 12% of the global greenhouse emissions which makes forestry an important policy area for sustainable development. On the 16th of July 2021, the EU’s new forest strategy was released. Since 2018 Sweden has its own forest program. Due to the new EU forest strategy receiving a lot of criticism, it is clear that the forest policy in EU and Sweden have different understandings on the forests' role for sustainable development. This thesis aims to explore how different understandings of a policy problem are expressed in a case of multi-level governance, which in this case is forest policy. To investigate this, we use the method of discourse analysis where the analytical tool applied is Carol Bacchi's “What’s the problem represented to be?”- framework. Our approach consists of four interrelated questions that are asked to the policy documents, which lead to an understanding of how problems are represented as well as which discursive effects these problematizations create. The study shows that the EU and Sweden's forest policies have different understandings on how the forest best should contribute to climate change. These differences create certain discursive effects where the Swedish forest policies to a larger extent benefit the forest industry and the EU forest policy to a larger extent sees the intrinsic value of nature as well as incorporates the indigenous perspective.

Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Organisation grenzüberschreitender Schienenpersonenverkehre (SPV) in der Europäischen Union seit Beginn des Liberalisierungs- und Reformprozesses im Bahnverkehr. Wie hat sich diese verändert? Wie wirken sich heutige Strukturen und Regeln im europäischen Mehrebenensystem auf das Angebot im grenzüberschreitenden Bahnverkehr aus? - Obwohl der Bahn als Verkehrsmittel auch im internationalen Verkehr eine zentrale Rolle zur Erreichung der europäischen Klimaziele sowie der territorialen Kohäsion zukommt, wurden diese Fragen in der Forschung bislang nicht in ihrem Zusammenhang betrachtet. Diese Forschungslücke wird in der vorliegenden Arbeit adressiert. Dabei werden Fallstudien aus dem grenzüberschreitenden SPV im Raum Deutschland, Polen und Tschechien untersucht. Im Vergleich zu Deutschland sind die Akteursstrukturen in den beiden Staaten, die im Jahr 2004 der Europäischen Union beitraten, noch nicht umfangreich erforscht, sodass auch hierfür durch diese Dissertation ein Mehrwert geschaffen wird. Anhand von vier Beispielen werden die Entwicklung des Verkehrsangebots im grenzüberschreitenden SPV zwischen Deutschland und seinen beiden östlichen Nachbarstaaten nachvollzogen und die Angebotsorganisation für ausgewählte Angebotskonstellationen rekonstruiert. Die vier Fallstudien zu den Verbindungen Berlin - Wrocław, Dresden - Wrocław, München - Praha sowie Nürnberg - Praha zeigen im Vergleich positive und negative Tendenzen der Angebotsentwicklung auf. Sie belegen, dass attraktive grenzüberschreitende Angebote nicht allein vom Zustand der Schieneninfrastruktur determiniert werden, sondern dass den nationalen und regionalen Akteuren ein nicht unerheblicher Gestaltungsspielraum verbleibt. Eine besondere Bedeutung kommt der bislang vollkommen unzureichenden übergeordneten, innereuropäischen Handlungskoordination - hier als Metagovernance bezeichnet - zu. In vielen Bereichen, die sich auf das Angebot auswirken, ist Metagovernance notwendig: bei der Planung von Verkehrsangeboten und der Infrastrukturentwicklung, bei Bestellverfahren für gemeinwirtschaftliche Verkehre nach Maßgabe der europäischen PSO-Verordnung, bei der Finanzierung der Infrastruktur und nicht zuletzt im Hinblick auf die Rahmenbedingungen im Verkehrsmarkt, der einen fairen, regulierten Wettbewerb aller Verkehrsträger ermöglichen sollte. Zudem ist festzustellen, dass sich die Erfolgskontrolle europäischer Bahnverkehrspolitik im Mehrebenensystem bisher zu stark auf ökonomische Leistungskriterien richtet, dabei aber räumliche Erreichbarkeiten im Sinne der territorialen Kohäsion vernachlässigt. Diese Arbeit unterbreitet hierfür einen Vorschlag zur Erstellung von europäischen Mindestbedienstandards sowie zur systematisierten Datenerhebung über grenzüberschreitende Angebote im SPV. / This thesis deals with the organisation of cross-border rail passenger services in the European Union since the beginning of the liberalisation and reform process in rail transport. How has this changed? How do today's structures and rules in the European multi-level system affect the offer of cross-border rail transport? - Although rail as a mode of international transport has a central role to play in achieving European climate goals and territorial cohesion, existing research so far has not considered these questions. Therefore, this thesis addresses this research gap by examining case studies from cross-border rail passenger transport between Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. Compared to Germany, no extensive research regarding the actor structures in the two states that joined the European Union in 2004 is available. Thus, this work also creates added value for these countries. Based on four examples, we reconstruct the development of transport service offers in cross-border rail passenger transport between Germany and its two eastern neighbouring states and the organisation of selected service offer constellations. When compared, the four case studies of the connections between Berlin and Wrocław, Dresden and Wrocław, Munich and Praha as well as Nuremberg and Praha show positive and negative tendencies regarding the service provision quantity and quality. They prove that the condition of the rail infrastructure is not solely determining attractive cross-border services, but that the national and regional actors can considerably influence service quantity and quality. The hitherto completely inadequate overarching, intra-European coordination of action - here referred to as metagovernance - is of particular importance. Metagovernance is necessary in many areas that have an impact on the offer: in the planning of transport offers and infrastructure development, in ordering procedures for public service transport in accordance with the European PSO regulation, in the financing of infrastructure and, last but not least, with regard to the framework conditions in the transport market, which should enable fair, regulated competition between all modes of transport. In addition, it must be noted that the monitoring of the success of the European rail transport policy in the multi-level system has so far focused too much on economic performance criteria while neglecting spatial accessibility in the spirit of territorial cohesion. This thesis presents a proposal for the establishment of European minimum operating standards and for the systematic collection of data on cross-border passenger rail services.

The relationship between the Swedish government and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) has sparked debates, particularly regarding the agreements established in the healthcare sector. These agreements strive to ensure national equivalence while allowing municipal influence in governance. However, the agreements entail closed negotiations and bestow decision-making authority upon SALAR – a non-public employers' and interest organization funded by tax money – representing the municipalities. Despite their significance, limited research has explored the utilization and repercussions of these agreements, especially concerning their democratic implications. This knowledge gap is striking given the regional authorities' substantial management of tax revenues and primary responsibility for healthcare, as regional democracy has received scant attention in political science research and society. Therefore, this thesis aims to bridge this gap by mapping and evaluating the democratic legitimacy of the agreement development process between the government and SALAR. The focus of analysis is on the 2023 agreement relating to maternity care and women's health. The empirical material includes accessible documents, as well as interviews with individuals knowledgeable about the decision-making process and those anticipated to have gained insights. Through reconstructing the decision-making process and employing two contrasting democratic ideals – the traditional representative model and the network-based multi-actor model – this study uncovers the challenges encountered in upholding these ideals during the agreement development. Notably, the democratic values of accountability, openness, and transparency were significantly compromised. Therefore, the decision-making process can be assessed as lacking full democratic legitimacy.

The inter-scalar interaction of norms is pervasive in African hydropolitics due to the nature of freshwater on the continent – shared, strategic and that which necessitates cooperation. However, with few exceptions, particular norms created at specific levels of scale have been researched in isolation of those existing at other levels. It is argued that this exclusionary approach endangers the harmonised and integrated development of international water law and governance, producing sub-optimal cooperative strategies. The notable contributions of Ken Conca and the Maryland School’s research on the contestation of norms occurring at different levels of scale, and Anthony Turton’s Hydropolitical Complex (HPC), will be examined through a Constructivist theoretical lens, in terms of their applicability to furthering an understanding of multi-level normative frameworks. Through the use of the Orange-Senqu River basin, and the Nile Equatorial Lakes sub-basin (NELSB) as case studies, it is argued that norm convergence is possible, and is occurring in both case studies analysed, although to varying degrees as a result of different causal factors and different biophysical, historical, socio-political and cultural contexts. This is demonstrated through an examination of regional dynamics and domestic political milieus. Notwithstanding their varying degrees of water demand, Orange-Senqu and NELSB riparians present fairly different political identities, each containing existing constellations of norms, which have affected the ways in which they have responded to the influence of external norms, how the norm is translated at the local level and to what extent it is incorporated into state policy. In so doing, the interface between international norms and regional/domestic norms will be explored in an attempt to understand which norms gain acceptance and why. It is therefore advocated that a multi-level interpretation of norm development in Africa’s hydropolitics is essential to an understanding of the interconnectedness of context, interests and identities. Each level of scale, from the international to the subnational, give meaning to how norms are translated and socialised, and how they in turn, transform contexts.

This short paper considers all possible stakeholders in different stages of a sustainability transition and matches their behavioral features and diversity to policies. This will involve an assessment of potential or expected responses of stakeholders to a range of policy instruments. Following the Multi-Level Perspective framework to conceptualize sustainability transitions, we classify the various transition policies at niche, regime and landscape levels. Next, we offer a complementary classification of policies based on a distinction between social preferences and bounded rationality. The paper identifies many barriers to making a sustainability transition and how to respond to them. In addition, lessons are drawn from the case of Denmark. The detailed framework and associated literature for the analysis was discussed in Milestone 31 of the WWWforEurope project (Gazheli et al., 2012). / Series: WWWforEurope

Cette thèse propose un cadre d’analyse renouvelé de la gouvernance des territoires ruraux, telle qu’elle est mise en oeuvre dans des dispositifs institutionnels dédiés. Dans un monde globalisé, dans lequel la focalisation sur les processus de croissance des régions entraîne des mutations rapides et parfois peu maitrisées, le développement territorial joue un rôle majeur. Mobiliser les acteurs et valoriser les ressources locales favorise la différenciation des territoires et contribue à la durabilité des actions. Des politiques publiques peuvent soutenir cette démarche en proposant des dispositifs institutionnels de gouvernance, comme les « Collèges de développement territorial » mis en place par le programme du gouvernement brésilien « Territoires de la citoyenneté ». Mais la faible densité démographique de certains territoires, l’existence de projets sociétaux fortement différenciés et les compétences limitées en matière de gouvernance constituent autant d’obstacles. Le travail présenté ici vise à enrichir la réflexion à partir d’investigations réalisées dans deux territoires contrastés de l’État du Pará, situés en Amazonie brésilienne : le Baixo Amazonas et le Nordeste Paraense. Nous avons mené des enquêtes sur les dynamiques territoriales et les dynamiques d’interaction auprès des acteurs impliqués dans les collèges et, à un autre niveau, dans des « Arrangements Productifs Locaux ». Les zonages à dires d’acteurs ont mis en évidence l’influence déterminante des dynamiques entrepreneuriales, des cadres normatifs, de l’urbanisation et des infrastructures sur l’évolution des territoires. Il apparait que les initiatives des acteurs locaux et des institutions publiques sont insuffisamment coordonnées pour favoriser le développement rural. Les analyses des réseaux et des proximités, réalisées à partir d’entretiens ethnographiques et sociométriques, montrent que les dispositifs institutionnels facilitent les collaborations entre les acteurs distants géographiquement ou initialement peu enclins au dialogue, tout en limitant le repli sur des logiques de similitude ou des logiques locales. Il en ressort qu’un accompagnement soutenu doit être apporté tout particulièrement aux membres des dispositifs inscrits dans les réseaux à différents niveaux pour qu’ils adoptent une posture de médiateurs de la gouvernance territoriale et acquièrent les savoir-faire nécessaires. / This thesis proposes a renewed analytic framework of the governance of rural territories, implemented within institutional arrangements. In a globalized world, where focus on growth processes leads to fast and frequently poorly controlled mutations, territorial development plays a fundamental role. Mobilizing actors and developing local resources supports the differentiation of territories and contributes to the sustainability of actions. Public policies can support this approach by proposing institutional arrangements such as the “Territorial Development Collegiate Body” set up by the Brazilian government's “Territories of citizenship” program. Nevertheless, the low demographic density of many rural territories, the existence of societal projects strongly differentiated and the limited competences on governance constitute many other obstacles. This work aims to enrich the reflection, starting from investigations carried out in two contrasted territories in the State of Pará, located in Brazilian Amazon : Baixo Amazonas and Nordeste Paraense. Surveys on territorial dynamics and interaction dynamics were carried out with actors participating within collegiate bodies and with those at the level of “Local Productive Arrangements”. Zoning based on stakeholders' mental representations highlighted the determining influence of entrepreneurial dynamics, normative frameworks, urbanization and infrastructures on the evolution of the territories. It seems that initiatives of local actors and public institutions are insufficiently coordinated to support rural development. Social networks and proximity analysis carried out starting from ethnographic and sociometric interviews show that institutional arrangements facilitate collaborations between actors who are geographically distant or initially not very inclined to communicate, while limiting closure on logics of similarity or local logics. This reveals that a constant assistance must be brought particularly to the members of the arrangements who are embedded in networks at various levels so that they adopt a posture of mediators of the territorial governance and acquire the necessary know-how.