engleski

Horizontal Europeanization of Local Self- Government: Importance of Local Authorities Networks in the Implementation of the European Principles for Good Governance

In the context of local self-government, the Europeanization process includes the "top-down" component (i.e. changes in policies, actions, preferences and participants in local governance resulting from the negotiation and implementation of EU programs and policies), "bottom-up" component (i.e. transfer of innovative urban practices to a supranational arena for the purpose of incorporating local initiatives in pan-European policies and programs) and the horizontal component. This paper focuses on the horizontal Europeanization of local self- government, a process that can take place without the participation of European institutions or with their minimal, coordinative role. It is about cooperation, exchange of experience and best practices and finding innovative solutions through transnational networks of local units. Horizontal Europeanization includes lesson- drawing, policy transfer and policy convergence. The formation of transnational networks of local authorities creates a new dimension of the emergence of "foreign policy" and "paradiplomacy" of European subnational levels of government, primarily cities. The main research question is to determine the ways in which transnational networks of local units can contribute to the implementation of the European good governance principles. Namely, there is a general consensus on key components of good governance that has established principles for public administration shared by European States with different legal traditions and different systems of governance.

Europeanization, Local Government, Paradiplomacy, Transnational Networks, European Good Governance Principles

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