B6172 - TERRITORIAL POLICIES AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

Learning outcomes

Having successfully completed the course, students will have acquired an understanding of the history of European integration as a decentralized process based on territorial cooperation, as well as technical terminology and key concepts of territorial cooperation concerning territory, multi-level governance, spatial planning, and regional policy. In terms of skills, students will be able to analyze actors, obstacles, and opportunities pertaining to ETC programs and projects, understanding how to assess them in a comparative perspective.

Course contents

The course aims at presenting a detailed analysis on European Territorial Cooperation (ETC), with a focus on the impact that ETC has on the development of European territories. It is divided into four different parts.

The first part discusses the theoretical reference of territorial cooperation as it has been framed in the last 30 years, highlighting the role of ECT in the broader European Union (EU) Cohesion Policy.

The second part dives into the different existing policies in the framework of ETC, namely Macro-Regional Policies and Strategies, Neighborhood Policy, and the relevance of Interreg cross-border and transnational initiatives. This segment focuses on the implementation and impact of said policies, with a view to critically review their decision-making procedures.

The third part proposes a take on how ECT multi-level governance has impacted local governments. It will present three models through which this can happen, namely the horizontal approach, which includes adaptation and coordination of local governments in the EU; the formal bottom-up approach, which considers the institutions and procedures that gives formal access to EU policy-making to local actors; and the informal bottom-up approach, which presents how local actors lobby EU policy-making either by directly approaching EU institutions or indirectly, by using transnational, national and regional channels.

The fourth part will bring in testimonies from ETC actors and will include a role play for attending students to practice cooperation in the ETC territories, their challenges, and results, and explore what is the future of ETC and its evolving contribution to EU Cohesion Policy.

 

Syllabus

Each lesson will last 4h, for a total of 28h.

 

Part 1 – An overview of territorial cooperation in Europe

1) EU Cohesion Policy: a top-down approach with a regional implementation

Guderjan, M. and Verhelst, T., (2021). Local Government in the European Union: Completing the integration cycle. Springer. Chapters 1-2-3

Medeiros, E., (2018). European Territorial Cooperation: Theoretical and empirical approaches to the process and impacts of cross-border and transnational cooperation in Europe. Springer. Chapter 4

Churski, P., Herodowicz, T. et al., (2021). European Regional Development: Contemporary regional and local perspectives of socio-economic and socio-political changes. Springer. Chapters 2-3

Medeiros, E., (2023). Public policies for territorial cohesion. Springer. Chapter 9

2) The layers of multi-level governance: the Union, the States, and the local public bodies

Dotti, N. et al., (2024). EU Cohesion Policy: A multidisciplinary approach. Elgar. Chapters 14-16

Noferini, A., Berzi, M., Camonita, F. and Durà, A., (2019). Cross-border cooperation in the EU: Euroregions amid multilevel governance and re-territorialization. European Planning Studies, 28(1), pp. 35–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2019.1623973

Wassenberg, B. and Reitel, B., (2015). Territorial Cooperation in Europe: A historical perspective. Publications Office of the EU.

3) European Territorial Cooperation: broad ambitions based on territorial mobilization

Medeiros, E., (2018). European Territorial Cooperation: Theoretical and empirical approaches to the process and impacts of cross-border and transnational cooperation in Europe. Springer. Chapter 2

Cappello, M., (2023). European Structural Funds 2021-2027: guide to the planning and reporting of expenditure. Edizioni Efesto. Chapters 4-5-6-7-8

 

Part 2 – Uncovering the prism of ETC

4) Macro-regional and maritime strategies: giants with clay feet?

Medeiros, E., (2018). European Territorial Cooperation: Theoretical and empirical approaches to the process and impacts of cross-border and transnational cooperation in Europe. Springer. Chapters 8-9

Belloni, R., (2020). Assessing the rise of macro-regionalism in Europe: the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR). Journal of International Relations and Development, 23, pp. 814–839. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41268-019-00170-y

Aubarell Solduga, G., (2024). Cooperative governance in the Mediterranean: developing a macro-regional application model. Belgeo [Online], 4. Available at: [https://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/71614?lang=en] [Accessed 16 September 2024].

5) Mapping Interreg thematic cooperation

Chilla, T. and Lambracht, M., (2022). Institutional mapping of cross-border cooperation: INTERREG programme analyses with KEEP data. European Planning Studies, 31(4), pp. 700–718. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2022.2058321

Basboga, K. (2020) 'Regional Studies, Regional Science', Regional Studies, Regional Science, 7(1), pp. 532-549. doi:10.1080/21681376.2020.1842800.

6) Interreg cross-border cooperation: European Groups of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) and environmental issues

Medeiros, E., (2018). European Territorial Cooperation: Theoretical and empirical approaches to the process and impacts of cross-border and transnational cooperation in Europe. Springer. Chapters 7-10-12

Medeiros, E., (2023). Public policies for territorial cohesion. Springer. Chapters 5-6-10

7) Interreg transnational cooperation: spatial planning and energy transition

Berisha, E. and Cotella, G., (2021). Governing territorial development in the Western Balkans: Challenges and prospects of regional cooperation. Springer. Chapters 3-11-13-14-16

Kruse, M., (2024). Inter-organisational sustainability cooperation among European regions and the role of smart specialisation. Journal of Knowledge Economy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-01760-z

 

Part 3 – ECT and local governments

8) The horizontal approach: pooling resources to count in the EU

Guderjan, M. and Verhelst, T., (2021). Local Government in the European Union: Completing the integration cycle. Springer. Chapter 5

Zerbinati, S., (2012). Multi-level governance and EU structural funds: An entrepreneurial local government perspective. Local Government Studies, 38(5), pp. 577–597.

9) The formal bottom-up approach: formalizing the principle of partnership

Guderjan, M. and Verhelst, T., (2021). Local Government in the European Union: Completing the integration cycle. Springer. Chapter 6

Paoloni, S. (2024) Multi-level Governance and Partnership Principle in European Territorial Cooperation: a Case Study on Interreg Italy-Austria. Master thesis. University of Konstanz.

10) The informal bottom-up approach: promoting local interests through lobbying

Guderjan, M. and Verhelst, T., (2021). Local Government in the European Union: Completing the integration cycle. Springer. Chapter 7

Kramer, J., (2017). Influencing EU fisheries policy through (trans)national networks: The case of the Province of Flevoland. Utrecht University Master thesis. Available at: https://studenttheses.uu.nl/handle/20.500.12932/28308 [Accessed 16 September 2024].

 

Part 4 – How does it work in practice?

11) Role play exercise

12) Macro-regional strategy: EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) and The work in Brussels: DG REGIO

13) Cross-border Interreg programme: Italy-Croatia and Transnational Interreg programme: IPA-Adrion

Readings/Bibliography

Aubarell Solduga, G., (2024). Cooperative governance in the Mediterranean: developing a macro-regional application model. Belgeo [Online], 4. Available at: [https://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/71614?lang=en] [Accessed 16 September 2024].

Basboga, K. (2020) 'Regional Studies, Regional Science', Regional Studies, Regional Science, 7(1), pp. 532-549. doi:10.1080/21681376.2020.1842800.

Belloni, R., (2020). Assessing the rise of macro-regionalism in Europe: the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR). Journal of International Relations and Development, 23, pp. 814–839. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41268-019-00170-y

Berisha, E. and Cotella, G., (2021). Governing territorial development in the Western Balkans: Challenges and prospects of regional cooperation. Springer.

Cappello, M., (2023). European Structural Funds 2021-2027: guide to the planning and reporting of expenditure. Edizioni Efesto.

Chilla, T. and Lambracht, M., (2022). Institutional mapping of cross-border cooperation: INTERREG programme analyses with KEEP data. European Planning Studies, 31(4), pp. 700–718. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2022.2058321

Churski, P., Herodowicz, T. et al., (2021). European Regional Development: Contemporary regional and local perspectives of socio-economic and socio-political changes. Springer.

Dotti, N. et al., (2024). EU Cohesion Policy: A multidisciplinary approach. Elgar.

Fleurke, F. and Willemse, R., (2006). Measuring local autonomy: A decision-making approach. Local Government Studies, 32(1), pp. 71–87.

Guderjan, M. and Verhelst, T., (2021). Local Government in the European Union: Completing the integration cycle. Springer.

Medeiros, E., (2018). European Territorial Cooperation: Theoretical and empirical approaches to the process and impacts of cross-border and transnational cooperation in Europe. Springer.

Medeiros, E., (2023). Public policies for territorial cohesion. Springer.

Noferini, A., Berzi, M., Camonita, F. and Durà, A., (2019). Cross-border cooperation in the EU: Euroregions amid multilevel governance and re-territorialization. European Planning Studies, 28(1), pp. 35–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2019.1623973

Kramer, J., (2017). Influencing EU fisheries policy through (trans)national networks: The case of the Province of Flevoland. Utrecht University Master thesis. Available at: https://studenttheses.uu.nl/handle/20.500.12932/28308 [Accessed 16 September 2024].

Kruse, M., (2024). Inter-organisational sustainability cooperation among European regions and the role of smart specialisation. Journal of Knowledge Economy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-01760-z

Wassenberg, B. and Reitel, B., (2015). Territorial Cooperation in Europe: A historical perspective. Publications Office of the EU.

Zerbinati, S., (2012). Multi-level governance and EU structural funds: An entrepreneurial local government perspective. Local Government Studies, 38(5), pp. 577–597.

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures with class debates; experts' testimonials

Assessment methods

For attending students, one essay (60%), participation in a role play exercise (30%) and class participation (10%) will determine the mark.

Deadlines and other specifications will be presented in class.

 

For non-attending students, a written exam will determine the mark.

Teaching tools

Slides; articles; materials for simulations

Office hours

See the website of Veronica Lenzi

See the website of