The Regions - Factors of Integration or Disintegration in Europe?

In the shadow of the national European integration, the regions arouse comparably little attention. It is neglected that the intermediate government level – either in central or in federal constitutioned member states – have to do a considerable part of the integration work. At the same time, regions change the way to see themselves. Their responsabilities are as well in change as their rights and institutions recently have been changing as a consequence of the transfer of national competences to the European level and of the continuing economic integration. This volume contains the papers presented during a workshop dealing with the role of the regions for the European integration process. They have been presented by experts from most of the member-states and include the views from the European institutions. They show a remarkable momentum of European integration particularly at the regional level not only observable in federal states but also within member-states with central-state constitutions. There, regions develop despite the lack of competences their proper procedures and institutional rules for to face the challenge of European integration.