Multi-level governance in Italy: the case of Marche

Abstract:

The paper operationalizes the Multi-level Governance approach from the standpoint of the third level. By analyzing Marche's performance in using structural funds, it evaluates the degree of Europeanization of Italian intergovernmental relations with respect to current institutional reforms. Although the national government no longer represents the only interface between domestic and supranational arenas, regions' participation in policy-making still suffers from scarce interlevel co-ordination. Indeed, Europeanization has triggered mainly organizational changes in Italy without sustaining the deepening of the European integration. The conclusion confirms the need to redesign the constitutional framework according to deeper forms of decentralization, by undertaking a systemic change based on subsidiarity and on a bottom-up approach to policy-making.