From Policy to Implementation in the European Union: The Challenge of a Multi-level Governance System

by Simona Milio

Overview

Is the EU multi-level governance system weakening the implementation of policies at a state level? It does appear that a clear gap exists between European Union level policy-making and Member State implementation. All too often, EU public policy content and planning are little more than statements of intent without successful adoption. Policy implementation processes are the key follow-up of policy cycles, as they turn ideas into social output. Simona Milio argues that implementation deficiencies are a direct result of the multi-level structure of European governance. Italy, Spain and Poland are studied in order to identify the main factors undermining implementation process. The findings will help guide future strategies to improve implementation processes both within old and new Member States, thus minimising past mistakes in the multi-level system of EU governance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781848851238
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/30/2010
Series:	Library of European Studies
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Simona Milio holds a PhD in European Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and is the recipient of the first prize for the best doctoral thesis in the Committee of the Regions 2009 Thesis Competition, awarded by the European Parliament.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part I: Member States struggle to implement EU policies: Political and administrative factors
Chapter 1: Multi-level governance: the role of national and sub-national actors
- The gap between policy making and policy implementation
- What determines the gap and how may it be reduced
- The case of cohesion policy in EU-27
- The Italian experience: contrasting regional performances
Chapter 2: Administrative capacity and political stability: a framework of analysis
- Four key components of administrative capacity: management, programming, monitoring, evaluation.
- Defining political stability: presidential, cabinet members and executive changes; Fragmentation of the political spectrum.
- Does administrative capacity determine implementation performance?
- How does political stability shape administrative capacity?
Part II: The Italian case: national failure versus regional success. Has multi-level governance improved or hindered implementation performance?
Chapter 3: The administrative and political system in Italian regions
- The impact of multi-level governance: administrative and political implications
- Is the Italian government still a gatekeeper?
- Constrains to the implementation of cohesion policy: is the regional level efficient?
- Weak national performance and some strong regional results
Chapter 4: Measuring administrative capacity in Sicily and Basilicata
- The degree of management: clarity of roles among actors and coordination of actives
- Programming performance: design and strategy coherence
- Creation of a regional monitoring system: data availability and accountability
- Diffusion of the evaluation culture: fear of "inspection" and closure to external expertise
Chapter 5: Explaining administrative capacity variation. Interaction between political factors and administrative key components
- A history of government instability in Italy: national and regional implications
- Sicily: 14 governments in 20 years (1986-2006)
- Basilicata: a government per legislature
- Does political stability promote administrative capacity performance?
Part III: The effect of multi-level governance in both old and new Member States
Chapter 6: Spain: successfully coping with Europe
- Administrative and political decentralization
- Multi-level governance and a new form of cooperation
- The case of Galicia: thriving implementation performance
- The case of Catalonia: when regions aspire to become nations
Chapter 7: Poland: centralization, decentralization and re-centralization
- Connecting to the EU multilevel governance system: "building bridges", "building gates" and 'defining actors'
- Administrative reform: creating EU standards - Political dialogue: opening to the top and to the bottom
- The progress of cohesion policy implementation
Chapter 8: Conclusions: Is multi-level governance widening the implementation gap?
- What determines the implementation gap: Administrative and political variables
- Pros and cons of the multi-level governance implementation system
- Can the implementation gap be reduced?
- What about other EU policies?

Editorial Reviews

'This volume draws on rich empirical evidence to highlight the importance of administrative capacity and practice in implementing the cohesion policy of the European Union across member countries with very different local characteristics. Both policy-makers and academics have much to learn from this probing study.' – Professor Helen Wallace, Centennial Professor, European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

From the Publisher