Territorial and Functional Interest Representation in EU Governance

Abstract

This special issue starts from the assumption that, in contrast to the mainstream view, a convergence can be detected in strategies of interest representation across different actor types of functional and territorial interests, despite differences which remain. The question is posed here as to whether a European model of interest representation in European governance is detectable across categories of actors? It is assumed that the convergence over actor characteristics is due to the main characteristics of the European Union as an interactive and communicative system of multi-level governance which provides a special political opportunity structure to the different actors. The contributions of the issue compare territorial and functional interest representation regarding actor types, national embeddedness, policy field, and resources (financial and human resources, competences, capacity to act, learn and interact) with respect to the emergence of a highly complex European model of interest representation with cross-sectoral, intersectoral, and some intrasectoral, characteristics.

Key Words:

• European Union
• comparative interest representation
• governance

Notes

1. For example the Mannheim project on ‘Regional governance in the EU (REGE)’.

2. In a first attempt to address the research question, the authors organized a ‘CONNEX’ Workshop at the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research (MZES)/Mannheim University in 2008 to bring together experts from both territorial and functional interest representation. It was the starting point of continuous dialogue which is documented in this special issue.