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Reflections on Governance: Power Relations and Policy Making in Regional Sustainable Development
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References
2003
Year
EngineeringSustainability GovernanceSustainable DevelopmentPolicy MakingSocial SciencesEnvironmental PolicyPolitical EcologyGovernance (Urban Studies)Regional Economic ResilienceGeopoliticsLocal GovernancePublic PolicyGovernance FrameworkEuropean UnionUn Sustainable Development GoalSustainable Development GoalPower RelationsSustainabilityRegional Sustainable DevelopmentPolitical Science
Governance concepts are applied to regional sustainable development, where regions are seen as suitable levels for policy making and clear frameworks of rules, responsibility, and accountability are essential for understanding policy in a changing society. The article seeks to advance the debate on regional sustainable development by critically reflecting on and analysing governance strategies in policy making. The article examines governance discourse in EU policy documents, applies it to regional sustainable development using European examples, and focuses on how EU Structural Funds promote uptake at the regional level. The article argues that power relations among institutions and stakeholders must be considered in any governance approach to regional sustainable development.
Abstract The focus of this article is the application of the concept of governance in regional sustainable development policy making. First, the article discusses the current theoretical discourse on governance and looks at how governance is framed within European Union (EU) policy-making documents. Second, it discusses these more theoretical aspects within the field of regional sustainable development by using examples from various regions across Europe. Regions are identified as a very appropriate level for sustainable development and related issues of policy making. Therefore, a special focus will be given to the EU Structural Funds and how they promote the uptake of sustainable development at the regional level. The article aims to contribute to the debate on regional sustainable development by critically reflecting upon and analysing governance strategies in regional sustainable development policy making. The main argument of the article is that the power relations between the different institutions and stakeholders must be taken into account in any governance approach. Only when clear frameworks of rules, responsibility and accountability are discussed in an open manner can one find a way to understand policy making in an ever-changing society.