Ignorées à l’origine par le droit de l’Union européenne, les collectivités locales s’inscrivent pourtant dans les enjeux de l’intégration européenne et s’imposent en qualité de « quasi-sujet » du droit de l’Union européenne.A l’échelle de l’Union européenne, les collectivités locales sont associées de plus en plus à l’élaboration et à la mise en oeuvre des politiques de l’UE. Cependant, leur action reste dépendante des cadres étatiques qui édifient des limites institutionnelles à une participation plus accrue. L’Etat demeure l’acteur institutionnel par excellence.En dépit de ces obstacles, les collectivités locales parviennent à élaborer des stratégies pour influer sur le processus décisionnel en utilisant une diversité de canaux formels et informels.Enfin, elles participent directement à la mise en évidence d’un territoire de l’Union européenne. L’ingénierie locale constitue alors un atout pour l’avenir de l’Union, qui consciente des différences et de la diversité de son territoire, adapte ses politiques et ancre de plus en plus sa démarche dans les préceptes de la Multi level governance (ou gouvernance multi-niveaux). L’émergence de ce modèle de gouvernance est censée pérenniser les acquis et la poursuite de la construction européenne, tout en respectant les traditions constitutionnelles nationales.Ainsi, l’objet de cette thèse est d’envisager les rapports complexes entre l’Union européenne et les collectivités locales. Cette étude ouvre alors sur des perspectives territoriales nouvelles intéressant directement l’Union européenne et inspire une réflexion sur le rôle de ces pouvoirs infra-étatiques dans une Union qui s’inscrit aussi dans un monde globalisé. / For a long time, the European Union has not known about the local and regional authorities.However, local and regional level is a real asset to the Union. They become some almost subject of the European Union.Indeed, local and regional authorities currently have significant powers in key sectors such as education, environment, economic development, land use planning, public services and social policies. They implement the European legislation. Therefore, they also help ensure the exercise of European democracy and citizenship.Despite some significant advances in terms of recognizing their role in the European process, their actions are controlled by their national’s institutional architecture. And as the Union respects the constitutional autonomy of the Member States, which order their relations with regional and local authorities in different ways, it is really complicated to organize relations between European level and local and regional level.In spite of these impediments, the local authorities succeed in establishing strategies in order to be closely involved in shaping and implementing European strategies.Finally, the local authorities also take part into the construction of a European territory.Indeed, the diversity of the local and regional situations shows that it could be a chance. European policies have to be set up to the disparities and the local level is involved into the European decision making process.By another way, the recognition of the key role played by local and regional authorities in the European Union is developing a multilevel vision in the relations between the European actors. If the member States stay the institutional speaker of the European process, their local authorities succeed in integrating the European level. The multi level governance (MLG) has attracted the European Union. The MLG should coordinate action by the European level, the member states and local and regional authorities.This thesis shows the complicated relations between the European Union and the local authorities. Territorial perspectives and new objectives and tools should drive the European Union towards a better democratic integration

Les recompositions à l’œuvre sur les territoires ruraux décrivent une mosaïque de situations soulignant l’importance du rôle des dispositifs de coordination pour expliquer les trajectoires vertueuses ou de déclin. Mais, paradoxalement, les modalités d’intervention publique apparaissent de plus en plus difficiles, soulignant le caractère crucial de la question de la gouvernance territoriale. C’est l’objet de cette thèse, qui traite du rôle joué par la gouvernance territoriale dans le développement territorial, et des dynamiques de changement des dispositifs institutionnels qui composent la gouvernance territoriale. La première partie pose les termes du débat actuel sur les questions de gouvernance territoriale et sa place dans les processus de développement, et présente les principales conceptions et grilles analytiques de la littérature sur cette notion, avant de proposer une grille de lecture originale mobilisée dans des chapitres suivants. La seconde partie met l’accent sur deux dimensions majeures de la gouvernance territoriale, la place des conflits et des processus de négociation, et les mécanismes de changement institutionnel. Enfin, la troisième partie, traite de l’influence des formes de gouvernance sur les modalités de valorisation des ressources territoriales. Les réflexions portent plus précisément sur l’implication des acteurs dans la mise en œuvre des dispositifs de gestion des biens publics à partir de l’exemple des productions sous indication géographique, et sur le rôle des initiatives privées et associatives comme contributrices à la gouvernance des territoires ruraux, illustrées ici par la stratégie des coopératives agricoles. / The reorganization at work in rural areas describes a mosaic of situations stressing the important role of coordination mechanisms to explain territorial virtuous trajectories and situations of decline. But, as a paradox, public interventions appear more and more difficult to define and settle, emphasizing territorial governance as a core issue. This is the subject of this thesis, which deals with this issue through two questions: the role of territorial governance in territorial development, and the forms and changes in institutions devices as part of territorial governance. The first part addresses the terms of the current debate on territorial governance issues and their role in the development process, and presents the main concepts and analytical grids of the literature on this concept, before clearing an analytical grid mobilized in the following chapters. The second part focuses on two major dimensions of territorial governance, the role of conflict and negotiation processes and innovation in institutional devices. The third part deals with the influence of forms of governance on the valuation methods of territorial resources. Reflections relate specifically to the involvement of stakeholders in the implementation of management systems of public goods on illustrated by the example of geographical indication devices, and the role of private and community initiatives as contributing to the governance of rural areas, illustrated by the strategy of agricultural cooperatives.

Localism places a special value on the local, and is increasingly prominent as a political doctrine. The literature suggests localism operates in three ways: bottom-up, top down and mutualistic. To assess its impact, localism needs to be seen within the broader context of multi-level governance. Here localism is examined in relation to three major themes: place, public value (PV), and institutional design. Regarding place, a key distinction is drawn between old and new localism. Old localism is about established local government, while new localism highlights the increasing room for manoeuvre that localities have in contemporary politics. This enables them to influence wider power structures, for example through trans-local organizing. With regard to public value, localist thinking makes a key contribution to core PV domains such as sustainability, wellbeing and democracy, as well as to others like territorial cohesion and intergovernmental mutuality. As for institutional design, the study is particularly concerned with ‘sub-continental’ political systems. A set of principles for the overall design of such systems is proposed, together with a framework of desirable policy outcomes at the local level. This can be used to evaluate how effective political systems are at creating public value in local settings. The thesis presents a comparative study of localism in two significant, sub-continental clusters: India/Kerala/Kollam and the EU/UK/England/Cornwall. Both can be seen as contrasting ‘exemplars’ of localism in action. In India, localism was a major factor in the nationwide local self-government reforms of 1993 and their subsequent enactment in the state of Kerala. In the EU, localism has been pursued through an economic federalism based on regions and sub-regions. This is at odds with the top-down tradition in British politics. The tension between the two approaches is being played out currently in the peripheral sub-region of Cornwall/Isles of Scilly. Cornwall’s dilemma has been sharpened by Britain’s recent decision to leave the EU. The thesis considers the wider implications of the case studies, and presents some proposals for policymakers and legislators to consider, together with suggestions for further research.

A presente tese discute a implementação do Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina no Brasil, bem como se, e de que maneira, suas diretrizes foram incorporadas ao contexto da prática das universidades brasileiras participantes. O Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina de acordo com os documentos oficiais, é uma proposta de afinação do ensino superior latino-americano e europeu, a partir de uma metodologia baseada na noção de competências e de uma rede de comunidades de aprendizagem. Desenvolvido em duas fases, a primeira, entre 2004 e 2007 e a segunda, entre 2011 e 2014, o Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina integra as políticas de desenvolvimento e cooperação internacional da União Europeia e é financiado pela Comissão Europeia. Para análise do processo de implementação das diretrizes do Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina nas universidades brasileiras participantes, considerando o cenário de governança multiescalar, os ajustes estruturais e espaço-temporais econômicos, políticos e sociais, foram estudados os relatórios oficiais do Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina, realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com participantes da segunda fase do Projeto e analisados os projetos pedagógicos de seis cursos de graduação em universidades do Brasil. O referencial teórico da tese está pautado no ciclo de políticas e na análise das políticas interregionais de educação superior vinculadas ao entendimento da lógica global do modo de produção capitalista, sustentado-se, principalmente, nos seguintes autores: Bowe e Ball (1992), Ball (2012) e Harvey (2003; 2006; 2011; 2013). Este referencial permitiu compreender a relação do Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina com seu contexto de influência (cenário de acumulação capitalista), contexto de elaboração da política (cenário da União Europeia) e contexto da prática (universidades brasileiras participantes). Desse modo, constatou-se que o Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina é uma das ações de territorialização, desterritorialização e reterritorialização de políticas educacionais da União Europeia, que no cenário de governança multiescalar supera fronteiras nacionais para suprir as demandas do mercado global, em que a educação superior, pautada na competitividade, é vista como impulsionadora do desenvolvimento econômico. Verificou-se que o Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina foi introduzido no Brasil fora dos marcos regulatórios do Estado, sendo acordado com universidades e docentes, desenvolvido a partir de redes políticas e não de decretos ou políticas públicas e que a implementação de suas diretrizes nas universidades brasileiras ocorreu de maneira pontual e discursiva. Entretanto, dada a complexidade das políticas inter-regionais que integram a dinâmica das regiões e das redes, os resultados do Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina não podem ser dimensionados apenas pela implementação de suas diretrizes a curto prazo, mas também pelo seu potencial de influência nas políticas nacionais, pela adoção de conceitos, diagnósticos e metodologias e também pela possibilidade de legitimar outras políticas. / This thesis discusses the implementation of the Alfa Tuning Latin America Project in Brazil, as well as if and in what way its guidelines have been incorporated in the context of practice of the participating Brazilian universities. According to official documents, Alfa Tuning Latin America Project is a proposal to fine-tune both Latin American and European higher education, while having a methodology based on the notion of competencies and a network of learning communities as starting points. Alfa Tuning Latin America Project has been developed in two phases: the first one between 2004 and 2007, and the second between 2011 and 2014; it is part of the European Unions international cooperation and development policies and it is funded by the European Commission. In order to analyze the implementation process of Alfa Tuning Latin America Project guidelines within the participating Brazilian universities, while taking into account the multi-level governance scenario, as well as structural and spatio-temporal adjustments of social, political and economic order, Alfa Tuning Latin America Project official reports have been studied, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with participants in the second phase of the Project and the pedagogical projects of six undergraduate programs from Brazilian universities have been reviewed. The theoretical framework of this thesis is guided by the policy cycle approach as well as by the analysis of higher education interregional policies linked to the understanding of the global logic of capitalism, while mainly drawing on the following scholars: Bowe and Ball (1992), Ball (2012) and Harvey (2003; 2006; 2011; 2013). This framework has enabled the understanding of the relation between Alfa Tuning Latin America Project and its context of influence (scenario of capitalist accumulation), its context for the development of the policy (European Union scenario) and its context of practice (participating Brazilian universities). In this way, we found out that Alfa Tuning Latin America Project is one of the actions taken by the European Union for the territorialization, deterritorialization and reterritorialization of educational policies, which in the multi-level governance scenario overcomes national borders toward meeting the demands of the global market, where higher education, featured by competitiveness, is seen as a driver of economic development. We observed that Alfa Tuning Latin America Project has been introduced in Brazil regardless of States regulatory frameworks by being agreed among universities and academics, while being developed through political networks rather than decrees or public policies and also that the implementation of its guidelines in Brazilian universities has happened in a specific and discursive way. Given the complexity of the interregional policies comprised in the dynamics of regions and networks, however, the results of Alfa Tuning Latin America Project cannot be merely assessed by the short-term implementation of its guidelines, but also by its potential of influence on national policies through the adoption of concepts, diagnoses and methodologies, as well as through the possibility to legitimize other policies.

L’oggetto della ricerca è costituito dalla cooperazione territoriale tra regioni confinanti e geograficamente non contigue che appartengono a Stati diversi nell’ambito dell’Unione europea. La tematica è studiata come caso specifico dell’internazionalizzazione delle regioni attraverso alcuni approcci disciplinari tipici degli studi europei, la multi-level governance, i policy networks e l’europeizzazione. L’analisi ripercorre le tappe principali dell’evoluzione della cooperazione territoriale in Europa, evidenziando l’impatto sulla stessa dei contesti giuridico-costituzionali nazionali e delle politiche delle istituzioni sopranazionali (Consiglio d’Europa e Unione europea). Lo studio è particolarmente incentrato sul ruolo giocato dalle caratteristiche delle singole regioni nella determinazione delle scelte e delle strategie in materia di cooperazione territoriale. A livello empirico, viene effettuata una comparazione tra le quattro regioni italiane del nord a Statuto ordinario. / Object of the research is the territorial cooperation among regions belonging to different States in the context of the European Union. With the term “territorial cooperation”, we refer to both cross-border and interregional cooperation. We deal with the topic as a specific case of the internationalization of the regions from a European studies’ perspective (multi-level governance, policy networks, Europeanization). The analysis is focused on the main stages of the evolution of the territorial cooperation in Europe, highlighting the impact on the issue of the heterogeneous national constitutional contexts and the supranational institutions’ policies (Council of Europe and European Union). In particular, we concentrate on the role of the regions’ features on their choices and strategies about territorial cooperation. The case-study is the comparison of the four Italian regions with ordinary statues.

A presente tese discute a implementação do Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina no Brasil, bem como se, e de que maneira, suas diretrizes foram incorporadas ao contexto da prática das universidades brasileiras participantes. O Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina de acordo com os documentos oficiais, é uma proposta de afinação do ensino superior latino-americano e europeu, a partir de uma metodologia baseada na noção de competências e de uma rede de comunidades de aprendizagem. Desenvolvido em duas fases, a primeira, entre 2004 e 2007 e a segunda, entre 2011 e 2014, o Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina integra as políticas de desenvolvimento e cooperação internacional da União Europeia e é financiado pela Comissão Europeia. Para análise do processo de implementação das diretrizes do Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina nas universidades brasileiras participantes, considerando o cenário de governança multiescalar, os ajustes estruturais e espaço-temporais econômicos, políticos e sociais, foram estudados os relatórios oficiais do Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina, realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com participantes da segunda fase do Projeto e analisados os projetos pedagógicos de seis cursos de graduação em universidades do Brasil. O referencial teórico da tese está pautado no ciclo de políticas e na análise das políticas interregionais de educação superior vinculadas ao entendimento da lógica global do modo de produção capitalista, sustentado-se, principalmente, nos seguintes autores: Bowe e Ball (1992), Ball (2012) e Harvey (2003; 2006; 2011; 2013). Este referencial permitiu compreender a relação do Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina com seu contexto de influência (cenário de acumulação capitalista), contexto de elaboração da política (cenário da União Europeia) e contexto da prática (universidades brasileiras participantes). Desse modo, constatou-se que o Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina é uma das ações de territorialização, desterritorialização e reterritorialização de políticas educacionais da União Europeia, que no cenário de governança multiescalar supera fronteiras nacionais para suprir as demandas do mercado global, em que a educação superior, pautada na competitividade, é vista como impulsionadora do desenvolvimento econômico. Verificou-se que o Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina foi introduzido no Brasil fora dos marcos regulatórios do Estado, sendo acordado com universidades e docentes, desenvolvido a partir de redes políticas e não de decretos ou políticas públicas e que a implementação de suas diretrizes nas universidades brasileiras ocorreu de maneira pontual e discursiva. Entretanto, dada a complexidade das políticas inter-regionais que integram a dinâmica das regiões e das redes, os resultados do Projeto Alfa Tuning América Latina não podem ser dimensionados apenas pela implementação de suas diretrizes a curto prazo, mas também pelo seu potencial de influência nas políticas nacionais, pela adoção de conceitos, diagnósticos e metodologias e também pela possibilidade de legitimar outras políticas. / This thesis discusses the implementation of the Alfa Tuning Latin America Project in Brazil, as well as if and in what way its guidelines have been incorporated in the context of practice of the participating Brazilian universities. According to official documents, Alfa Tuning Latin America Project is a proposal to fine-tune both Latin American and European higher education, while having a methodology based on the notion of competencies and a network of learning communities as starting points. Alfa Tuning Latin America Project has been developed in two phases: the first one between 2004 and 2007, and the second between 2011 and 2014; it is part of the European Unions international cooperation and development policies and it is funded by the European Commission. In order to analyze the implementation process of Alfa Tuning Latin America Project guidelines within the participating Brazilian universities, while taking into account the multi-level governance scenario, as well as structural and spatio-temporal adjustments of social, political and economic order, Alfa Tuning Latin America Project official reports have been studied, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with participants in the second phase of the Project and the pedagogical projects of six undergraduate programs from Brazilian universities have been reviewed. The theoretical framework of this thesis is guided by the policy cycle approach as well as by the analysis of higher education interregional policies linked to the understanding of the global logic of capitalism, while mainly drawing on the following scholars: Bowe and Ball (1992), Ball (2012) and Harvey (2003; 2006; 2011; 2013). This framework has enabled the understanding of the relation between Alfa Tuning Latin America Project and its context of influence (scenario of capitalist accumulation), its context for the development of the policy (European Union scenario) and its context of practice (participating Brazilian universities). In this way, we found out that Alfa Tuning Latin America Project is one of the actions taken by the European Union for the territorialization, deterritorialization and reterritorialization of educational policies, which in the multi-level governance scenario overcomes national borders toward meeting the demands of the global market, where higher education, featured by competitiveness, is seen as a driver of economic development. We observed that Alfa Tuning Latin America Project has been introduced in Brazil regardless of States regulatory frameworks by being agreed among universities and academics, while being developed through political networks rather than decrees or public policies and also that the implementation of its guidelines in Brazilian universities has happened in a specific and discursive way. Given the complexity of the interregional policies comprised in the dynamics of regions and networks, however, the results of Alfa Tuning Latin America Project cannot be merely assessed by the short-term implementation of its guidelines, but also by its potential of influence on national policies through the adoption of concepts, diagnoses and methodologies, as well as through the possibility to legitimize other policies.

Submitted by Rodrigo Lofrano (rodrigolofrano@gmail.com) on 2013-10-24T16:52:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Rodrigo Lofrano - versão final.pdf: 2831817 bytes, checksum: 465260dd067a6cec1d1984305c96cac0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁUREA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2013-10-31T17:25:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Rodrigo Lofrano - versão final.pdf: 2831817 bytes, checksum: 465260dd067a6cec1d1984305c96cac0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2013-11-04T10:56:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Rodrigo Lofrano - versão final.pdf: 2831817 bytes, checksum: 465260dd067a6cec1d1984305c96cac0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-11-04T10:56:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Rodrigo Lofrano - versão final.pdf: 2831817 bytes, checksum: 465260dd067a6cec1d1984305c96cac0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09-26 / This study presents the theoretical development and the application of a model aimed at analysing public policy governance arrangements tha t occur when multiple organizations are involved to tackle complex issues. The following re search question was posed: how does the set of coordination instruments employed in the gov ernance of a cross-cutting policy operate? An exploratory case study about the Bolsa Família Program was conducted, specifically on its dimension related to the coordination between healt h, education and social assistance sectors. Research methods consisted of content analysis of d ocuments and transcripts of semi- structured interviews with key actors of the Progra m in the three policy sectors. Results demonstrate how different governance modes coexist in the multi-level arrangement studied, revealing several coordination elements which opera te concomitantly resulting in a mixed mode of governance. Thus, contributions are made to the improvement of the Program and to the theoretical, methodological and applied develop ment of the governance and coordination concepts, resting demonstrated that it is possible to integrate them in the analysis of cross- cutting public policies. / Este estudo apresenta o desenvolvimento teórico e a aplicação de um modelo voltado à análise de arranjos de governança de políticas públicas que ocorrem quando múltiplas organizações estão envolvidas em lidar com questões complexas. A seguinte pergunta de pesquisa foi proposta: Como opera o conjunto de instrumentos de coordenação empregados na governança de uma política pública transversal? Um estudo de caso exploratório sobre o Programa Bolsa Família foi realizado, especificamente na sua dimensão relacionada à coordenação entre os setores de assistência social, educação e saúde. Os métodos de pesquisa consistiram em análise de conteúdo de documentos e transcrições de entrevistas semiestruturadas com atores-chave do Programa nos três setores de políticas. Os resultados demonstram como diferentes modos de governança coexistem no arranjo multinível estudado, revelando diversos elementos de coordenação cuja operação concomitante resulta em um modo de governança misto. Contribui-se, assim, para o aperfeiçoamento do Programa e para o desenvolvimento teórico, metodológico e aplicado dos conceitos de governança e de coordenação, ficando demonstrado ser possível integrá-los na análise de políticas públicas transversais.

In spite of Sweden´s lack of formal regions, the country is evolving towards regional administrations. The regional level are to a growing extent viewed as important bases for economic growth and development. The concept of the triple helix implies that interaction between the public sector, the industry and universities is a source to economic and social development. Research has though implied that the interaction between the triple helix actors could be problematic from a multi-level governance perspective. It has been shown that since the institutional setting is horizontal and vertical fragmented, cooperation between different institutions and actors becomes difficult. In year 2005-2006 the Värmland region was one of fourteen regions in twelve countries that was included in a OECD project, that was a response to the multiplicity of initiatives across the OECD countries concerning regional development. In the report that evolved from the project actors in Värmland was recommended to improve the cooperation concerning regional development in the county. This thesis investigates the cooperation between the triple helix actors for regional growth and development in the Värmland region 1998-2008. My research questions are: Is there evidence of a lack of cooperation between the university, the public sector and the industrial actors in Värmland? And if this is the case, could these problems be related to the fragmentation of the institutional setting? The thesis is a qualitative case study, conducted through elite-interviews and document analysis. My findings implies that the cooperation between the triple helix actors in Värmland has developed dramatically the last decade. From a strive for coordination that was pervaded by institutional fragmentation to an increased closeness and mutual involvement that has come to over-bridge the institutional fragmentation on the regional level. Although, it seems like the vertical fragmentation between the regional and national level, which could impede growth and development in the region, to a great degree remains.

Depuis 2006, la politique énergétique extérieure de l’Union européenne a été significativement renforcée. Cette politique très ambitieuse vise à assurer la sécurité des approvisionnements énergétiques dans l’Union et à contribuer à une utilisation plus durable de l’énergie à l’échelle universelle. Si le dialogue politique et les aides économiques sont essentiels à ces égards, l’Union fait principalement appel au droit pour libéraliser les marchés énergétiques des États tiers se trouvant à sa périphérie et pour diffuser sa vision de l’utilisation durable de l’énergie sur la scène internationale. Pour quelles raisons l’Union a-t-elle essentiellement recours au droit dans le cadre de cette politique ? S’agit-il d’un instrument efficace ? C’est à ces deux grandes questions que cette étude est consacrée / Since 2006, the European Union’s external energy policy has been strengthening significantly. This ambitious EU policy is aimed at ensuring the security of energy supply in the EU and to contribute to more sustainable use of energy around the world. If political dialogue and economic aid are essential, the EU resorts principally to the law in order to liberalise energy markets of the third States in its periphery and to spread its vision of sustainable energy on the international stage. For which reasons does the EU use primarily the law in this policy? Is this instrument efficient? It is these two majors questions that this study addresses

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."