Brief description

The aim of the project is based on analyzing, from an interdisciplinary perspective (political-legal), the participation of the Autonomous Communities in the European Union´s Council, following the agreements of the Conference on Relating Issues with the European Communities, in 2004. The objective is to evaluate its performance and results achieved during these early years. In order to achieve this purpose the effectiveness of coordination will be attended at three levels: autonomous community-states related to the participation of representatives in the autonomous Spanish delegations to the Council and its preparatory bodies, horizontal cooperation between regions in order to adopt common positions and finally, interdepartmental collaboration in one Autonomous Community to deal with European issues.The study will take into consideration other models of coordination, collaboration, in particular those from the comparative framework.

Methodology

The project will use the following research tools:

1. Academic literature about state of affairs in Spain, comparing it to other European member states

2. Documentary sources:

a) analysis of annual reports of the Ministry of Public Administration related to the involvement of the Autonomous Communities in the European Union

b) analysis of documents prepared by the Autonomous Communitiec)

c) other documents at European level

  3. In-depth interviews

- with officials from the Departments of the Autonomous Communities that have participated in conferences of the European Union’s Council and its preparatory bodies

- with autonomic advisers accredited to the Permanent Representation of Spain in the European Union
- with the heads of delegations of the Autonomous Communities in Brussels
- with officials from the Ministry of Public Administration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation ,and other  ministries involved in the procedure
- interviews with no institutional experts