Gabriele Abels, Annegret Eppler

Subnational Parliaments in the EU Multi-Level Parliamentary System

Taking Stock of the Post-Lisbon Era

Subnational or regional parliaments with legislative competences are increasingly active in EU affairs and are recognized as potential actors in the EU’s multi-level system by EU law. However, studies on the territorial effects of European integration and on the Europeanization of parliaments as well as parliamentarism have so far disregarded this group of parliaments. In the existing theoretical concepts of ‚multi-level parliamentarism‘ subnational parliaments do not have a place until now.
The book addresses this theoretical and empirical gap. Referring to studies on parliamentarism, federalism, and Europeanization the contributions discuss how to include subnational parliaments in the existing research. A total of 74 subnational parliaments from eight member states is affected by the new system, which allows them to participate in the so-called Early Warning Mechanism of subsidiarity control. The situation in six EU member states is analyzed in detail. The country chapters illustrate and analyze how subnational parliaments in the federal member states (Austria, Belgium, Germany) and in the decentralized/devolved ones (Great Britain, Italy, Spain) functionally adapt to the new opportunity structure and discuss the repercussions on legislative-executive relations as well as on interparliamentary relations.

With contributions from Gabriele Abels; Katrin Auel and Martin Große Hüttman; Peter Bursens, Frederic Maes and Matthias Vileyn; Peter Bußjäger; Josep-María Castellà Andreu and Mario Kölling; Ben Crum, Annegret Eppler; John Erik Fossum; Anna-Lena Högenauer; Sabine Kropp; Robert Ladrech; Erik Miklin; Matteo Nicolini; Werner J. Patzelt; Tapio Raunio; Werner Reutter; Gerhard Stahl and Bert Kuby; Gracia Vara Arribas.

Contents

Prefaces
Stefan August Lütgenau: Subnational Parliaments and EU Integration
Gabriele Abels: Opening Up a New Research Field – Preface
Annegret Eppler: Engaging in ‚Subnational Parliaments in the EU System‘ – Starting Point and Formation of this Book

List of Abbreviations

Introduction
Gabriele Abels: Subnational Parliaments as ‚Latecomers‘ in the EU Multi-Level Parliamentary System – Introduction

Subnational Parliaments in the Multi-Level System of the EU: Conceptual Issues and Research Perspectives
Ben Crum: The Emergence of an EU ‚Multilevel Parliamentary Field‘ – Is there a Role for Subnational Parliaments?
Robert Ladrech: Europeanization and Subnational Parliaments – A Research Perspective
Sabine Kropp: Federalism and Subnational Parliaments – A Delicate Relationship?

Subnational Parliaments and their National and European Environment
Tapio Raunio: National Parliaments – Gatekeepers for Subnational Parliaments?
Gracia Vara Arribas: The Early Warning System in Motion – Comparing Different Practices in Subnational Parliaments
Gerhard Stahl and Bert Kuby: The Growing Role and Responsibility of Parliaments in European Integration and Economic Governance – A View from the Committee of the Regions

Subnational Parliaments as Political Actors in EU Affairs: Case Studies of Federal States
Eric Miklin: Towards a More Active Role in EU Affairs – Austrian State Parliaments after Lisbon
Peter Bursens, Frederic Maes and Matthias Vileyn: Belgian Regional Assemblies in EU Policy-making – The More Parliaments, the Less Participation in EU Affairs?
Gabriele Abels: No Longer Losers – Reforming the German Länder Parliaments in EU Affairs
Werner Reutter: The Quandary of Representation in Multilevel Systems and German Land Parliaments

Subnational Parliaments as Political Actors in EU Affairs: Case Studies of Devolved and Regionalized States
Matteo Nicolini: The New Italian Framework for Regional Involvement in EU Affairs – Much Ado and Little Outcomes
Anna-Lena Högenauer: The Scottish Parliament – Active Player in a Multilevel European Union?
Josep-Maria Castellà Andreu and Mario Kölling: Asymmetrical Involvement of Spanish Autonomous Parliaments in EU Affairs

National and Transnational Cooperation of Subnational Parliaments
Annegret Eppler: Interparliamentary Relations of Subnational Parliaments – Delayed or Different?
Peter Bußjäger: The Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies – An Effective Network for Regional Parliaments?

Assessing the Role of Subnational Parliaments in the EU Multi-Level Parliamentary System
Werner J. Patzelt: Changing Parliamentary Roles – What Does this Mean for Subnational Parliaments and European Integration?
Katrin Auel and Martin Große Hüttmann: A Life in the Shadow? Regional Parliaments in the EU
John Erik Fossum: Reflections on the Role of Subnational Parliaments in the European Multilevel Parliamentary Field

 

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