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This book examines what role regions play in European (dis)integration and European identity building. Filling a glaring gap in our understanding of regions, the book considers what the scope and objectives of these regions' respective European policies and programmes are, how diverse they are and, in a time of mixed signals of European cynicism and identity, how European identity is perceived, fostered and even promoted in regions' European policies. In doing so, the book presents empirical findings on four EU regions as case studies, including Germany's Brandenburg; Belgium's Wallonia; France's Nord-Pas de Calais; and last but certainly in the current context of Brexit not least, the South West of England.
List of contents
Chapter 1. What role do regions and European identity play in European integration and politics? An Introduction; Literature review; Hypotheses and Chapters' outline.- Chapter 2. Regional characteristics affecting the scope and objectives of European policy - and European integration or disintegration.- Chapter 3. Comparing Regions' European Policies - A comparative policy analysis and assessment of the role of European identity.- Chapter 4. Is European policy European? The political case.- Chapter 5. Is European policy European? Perspectives from Regional Civil Servants.- Chapter 6. European Regional Networks - enhancing European engagement and identity-building?.- Chapter 7. The scope and objectives of regions' European engagement - lessons learned and more questions revealed.
About the author
Julie Anna Braun is Dahrendorf Postdoctoral Fellow at the Hertie School of Governance, Germany. Julie was a Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK, and has taught at the LSE for five years. Prior to this, Julie worked as European Policy Stagiaire at the UK's West Midlands office in Brussels and completed a political journalism traineeship at Inter Press Service.
Summary
This book examines what role regions play in European (dis)integration and European identity building. Filling a glaring gap in our understanding of regions, the book considers what the scope and objectives of these regions’ respective European policies and programmes are, how diverse they are and, in a time of mixed signals of European cynicism and identity, how European identity is perceived, fostered and even promoted in regions’ European policies. In doing so, the book presents empirical findings on four EU regions as case studies, including Germany’s Brandenburg; Belgium’s Wallonia; France’s Nord-Pas de Calais; and last but certainly in the current context of Brexit not least, the South West of England.
Additional text
“This book coherently brings theoretical insights together with proper empirical validation and extensions. … Overall, this book offers an occasion to reflect on European financial support to regional economies going beyond a pure economic logic. … it constitutes an important reading to obtain insights into the surprisingly under-researched social nuances of European regional policy and, in particular, its eventual ability to foster community-identity logics and, in turn, long-range support for European integration.” (Regional Studies, Vol. 53 (11), 2019)
Report
"This book coherently brings theoretical insights together with proper empirical validation and extensions. ... Overall, this book offers an occasion to reflect on European financial support to regional economies going beyond a pure economic logic. ... it constitutes an important reading to obtain insights into the surprisingly under-researched social nuances of European regional policy and, in particular, its eventual ability to foster community-identity logics and, in turn, long-range support for European integration." (Regional Studies, Vol. 53 (11), 2019)
