Dynamics of regionalisation in European integration: The case of Italy and a comparative approach

Along with the acceleration of European integration following the Maastricht Treaty, tendencies towards regionalisation in Western Europe have gained momentum. In this process, the discourse on ?Europe of the regions? has come to the fore and has been supported especially at supranational level, with the presumption that the regions are ? or are supposed to become ? actors of the European Integration. Given the fact that the integration process is still international in nature, this presumption requires a closer look at the dynamics of regionalisation in European integration, taking the actor-based theoretical approaches into consideration and focusing on sub-national units. Departing from this point, the main purposes of the study are as follows: to find out the main dynamics of regionalisation in European integration and the interaction among each other; to develop an explanatory-descriptive approach in the light of the main premises of the international relations theory assessing the role of regional units as sub-national dynamics.The study was based on the Italian experience, which reflects the common traits of other Western European states in terms of historical and geopolitical background. Besides, as a result of its recent phases of regionalisation, Italy holds a central position in field of regionalisation debates and hence is referred to as ?geopolitics laboratory of Europe?. The effort to reach general results to be valid for Western Europe has inevitably brought about a comparative approach and relevant experiences of other Western European states have been included into the study. Thus, after having put the theoretical and conceptual framework along with the main arrangements regarding regionalisation in Western Europe, particular cases of regionalisation have been briefly accounted for. Then the case of Italy has been focused on with details and the findings of the study were formulated as a theoretical approach.