Dual Networks in European Regional Development Policy

Abstract

This article seeks to extend the general analytical powers of the ‘multi‐level governance’ (MLG) model of politics in the European Union. Empirically, we investigate the political dynamics of networks linking supranational, national, and subnational actors in EU regional development policy. Theoretically, we argue that interaction in these networks can be illuminated by an approach based on the structuralist logic of sociological network theory. Structuralist logic emphasizes how particular patterns of relationships—in this case, a supranational–national–subnational triad—shape actors' roles and strategies. Triads create opportunities for constantly shifting alliances, as relations between any two actors are affected by appeals to the third. The resulting pattern of interaction, which we call ‘dual network dynamics’, corresponds well to observed conflict and co‐operation in EU regional development policy.