The European Union Review 

A la recherche d’une bonne governance

Lorenza Violini - University of Pavia, Italy

For a long time there was a general belief that European integration was detrimental to regions, which were perceived as being gradually deprived of their authority within the framework of, firstly, Community and, secondly, European Union decision-making processes. A typical expression of this trend was the Landesblindheit concept, based on German legal doctrine. There were good reasons for formulating such a concept, as domestic states were the first subjects of European integration and would seem to have only recently lost monopoly of Community law implementation. However, while in the early stages Community integration may have played a consolidating role within state-run structures to the detriment of regional bodies, as time has passed its effect has been more strongly in the reverse direction. European regions have reacquired visibility in Community decision-making processes, a visibility that has gradually consolidated, in spite of there being no homogeneity within the framework of the various member states. The paper considers the historical background to European regionalism’s assertion: the structural Funds. It goes on to analyse the ‘European citizenship’ of regions during various transition periods and the relevant instruments, going from the Maastricht Treaty to the changes brought about by the Nice Treaty.  Consideration then turns to participation by Regions in Community decisions at their development stage, plus, more generally, of direct relations between Community and Regions, including the influence exerted by Regions on Community decision-making processes in both theory and practice.