Local Government in Europe: The ‘Fourth Level’ in the EU Multi-Layered System of Governance
ISBN13: 9781138930049
Published: June 2015
Publisher: Routledge
Country of Publication: UK
Format: Paperback (Hardback in 2013)
Despatched in 4 to 6 days.
This book offers a comparative study of the structure of the local government in the countries within the European Union from a public law perspective. The book provides a detailed analysis of the state of local government in fifteen Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and UK.
the present form of local government as well as current proposals for the reform of local government
the functions of the local authorities
the type and the degree of autonomy these bodies enjoy
the internal organization and the local form of government
the controls the local authorities undergo
the system of funding of these bodies
the influence of the European integration on the structure of the local government.
In presenting such a wide-ranging survey, the book draws out the main trends of local government in Europe and outlines the elements of convergence and divergence between the Member States. The book also evaluates the impact of the European integration on the structure of the local government at national level, and argues that it is possible to view local government as the ‘fourth level’ of the EU multi-layered constitution.
