Is something better than nothing? Multi-level governance and the European Committee of the Regions in EU policymaking

In an even more uncertain world, many voices are calling for radical change in the governance models of development policies. The European Union – like the 2030 Agenda – has recognised the need for local and regional authorities (LRAs) to pay a greater role in defining and implementing public policies. This paper addresses three fundamental questions: a) when and why LRAs became central to EU policymaking; b) how LRAs can take part in EU policymaking; and, finally, c) the extent to which the European Committee of the Regions adequately frames LRA representation in EU policymaking. The analysis focuses on the European Committee of the Regions, the youngest of the EU’s constitutional organs, and a singular supranational body that allows LRAs to participate in the formal legislative process of the EU’s multi-level political and policy system.