The difference between trans-boundary issues, largely driven by globalisation and European integration and conventional authority based on sovereign state, leads to new challenges in governance. Regionalisation emerges in Europe and beyond as a process in which nation states, within geographic proximity, take collective measures to cope with these challenges.

Regionalisation was a flourishing neo-liberal idea in the nineties in Europe, assuming that regional decentralisation would strengthen economic competitiveness, deepen integration and lead territorial reforms. The regionalisation was driven by inner forces (such as ethnic movements), but mostly by the regime of Structural Funds and by European money for cross-border cooperation. The results are contradictory. Many member states remained centralised, regional disparities did not decrease and inter-regional co-operation was asymmetric due to the different positions and conditions of regions.

With the increasing tendencies towards regional cooperation, a new issue thus arises as to the interaction between regions. In fact, the more regionalised they become, the more necessary it is for them to be willing to build connections to each other. In Europe, inter-regionalism and trans-regionalism therefore become a further step which regional blocks take to build a layer in the hierarchy of European governance. In spite of there being insufficient studies on regional disparities, we can see that together with the reduction of the state sector in the economy, inter-regional disparities have grown and declined, with a tendency, in reality, to become dominant. We have to consider that there is a scepticism concerning the idea that regionalisation is the only way forward to a more successful economic development, although the most recent documents of the EU still emphasise the importance of regions and MLG.

There is a tension between global and local forces in public policymaking among the main actors:

-the territorial (nation)state,

-the region,

-the network,

-and the EU institutions in the case of the EU.

Globalisation results in increasing dependence on the outside world. On the other hand, regionalisation implies that the public policy process is bound to a local and regional environment. Regional institutions – backed by an increasing regional identity in many countries – have a growing importance in the decision-making and implementation in public policy.

Crucial problems are as follows:

-Do decentralisation and devolution provide relevant autonomy for them?

-Can they counterbalance the impact of globalisation?

-Did the subsidiarity principle support the growing autonomy of the regions?

-Cross-border regions are emerging throughout Europe. What is the difference between the impact of decentralisation, separatism and region-building? (Why are the two questions connected? The last one is a "separate” issue with no general relevance for cross-border cooperation)

-What will be the future of MLG in Europe?

-What about the emerging macro regions (Baltic, Danube, Mediterranean)?

-To what extent could the European institutions (Congress of Local and Regional Authorities; CLRAE; Committee of the Regions, CEMR and Assembly of European Regions) strengthen the influence and representation of the regions within the different national and supranational institutions?

-How could the territorial role of urban networks and regional governments be harmonised?

-What are the lessons learned?