Sixty-five years of European governance (introduction)

Abstract

The key achievement of European integration in the realm of policymaking is a radical transformation in governance which transcends simple notions of hierarchy and may take the form of direct intervention or the establishment of guidelines or norms, in which governance is shared by multiple institutional actors across multiple levels. The articles in this special issue demonstrate the creative and often fragile solutions found to address the challenges facing Europe by analysing changes in governance over time, at various points since the origins of the European integration project, in a range of institutions and policy areas. European governance has evolved from a simple state interventionist model to a complex system of ‘governance of governance’, employing both hierarchical and non-hierarchical governance modes combined in innovative ways.