An Analysis On The Theories And Practices Of EU Multi-level Governance

The European Union has developed into a sui generic political system and it is as a "evolving" governance system. During this on-going integration process, the EU governance system has often been characterized as "a governance without government," "a multi-level network governance," or "a new governance derived from open methods of coordination." But among the three modes, multi-level governance can combine above two modes and become popular in analysizing the EU system now. After "White Paper on European Governance", the multi-level governance regards as an official philosophy in EU and a new dimension to witness the integration and the policy making and decision making.Instead of the conventional dichotomy of "intergovernmental" and "supranational" arguments of the EU, The paper will take multi-governance approach as a framework for analyzing the economic and political integration of the EU. The EU does not possess the full regime characteristics of sovereign state, but its governance represents a comprehensive institutional cooperation and different actors interact during the process of decision making.According to the EU multi-level governance model, supranational, national, subnational, as well as transnational actors and institutions all play a key role for European integration and the interaction of actors during the process of integration. Some dimension will be examined through this mode: Firstly decision making competence is shared by actors at different levels rather than monopolized at national level, the state-centric power to the EU policies remains important but meets its limits. Secondly policy making at EU level (with the Commission and council) involve the loss of control for individual governments. Member States' competence has been transformed to the subnational level—regional and local authority. Actors at the subnational as well as transnational level can by pass the national level on crucial issues. Thirdly multi-level governance helps coordination among different private interests and construct the civil society and the civic participation in EU. The operation of structural funds can completely reflects the mode of multi-level governance and the interaction of different actors levels.In fact, by examining the dynamics and unique characteristics of the European integration, we can conclude that multi-level governance of the EU is an "evolving" and mobile and complex system and it is also the creation of institution. Facing the challenge of globalization and "deficit of democracy", probably multi-level governance is useful exploration to the legitimacy in EU and also a useful analytical concept for the post-sovereign modernity of international politics in the twenty -first century.