Europe of the Regions in Rhetoric and Reality

Abstract

The phrase "Europe of the Regions" has been used to describe the EU and denotes a principle of regional recognition and empowerment. Regions all over Europe have hoped that the European Union would grant them power to bypass the central government and in some cases, pave the way for independence. The Maastricht Treaty helped by creating multiple institutions which the regions had direct or indirect access to, such as the Committee of the Regions. Many regionalist parties established offices in Brussels to represent their interests and a greatly expanded role of the regions seemed plausible. However with 20 years since the Maastricht Treaty, it appears that initial hopes were misplaced, as regions lack the power to bypass central governments. This paper seeks to examine how powerful regions, namely Catalonia and Scotland, can affect EU policy both through official channels and secondary influence. By looking at a number of channels it is clear that in these two cases the EU has empowered regions, but not to an extent where they are able to bypass their central governments