From Federated Federalism to Converging Federalism? The Case of EU Subsidiarity Scrutiny in Spain and Belgium

In political science literature, federal systems may be classified as ‘dual’ or ‘co-operative’ polities. This contribution further explores this dichotomy between dual and co-operative systems from the perspective of Spain and Belgium, two EU member states that may be qualified as ‘dual’ systems. These countries are said to have developed more co-operative systems of government in order to meet the exigencies of participation in EU policy-building and its implementation. This research will be revisited by looking into the way these two countries have dealt with the implementation of the Lisbon Protocol on Subsidiarity. Is the ‘EU-induced’ co-operative trend indeed confirmed in these countries or is it time to reassess earlier findings?