The impact of the Europeanization process on the cooperation between local institutions in European cities. The comparative analysis of Krakow and Glasgow

Abstract

This paper analyses various forms of cooperation between local institutions in European cities, which emerge from the impact of European regulations laying down general provisions on structural funds, mostly in the programming period 2000-2006. More specifically, the paper addresses the issue of whether mobilization around EU-funded projects contributes to the emergence of new forms of cooperation or whether actors benefiting from EU funds are based on pre-existing local networks and relationships. Cooperation among institutions is analysed from two perspectives: ‘top down’ (decision making processes around EU projects) and ‘bottom up’ (mobilization to benefit EU funds). Specifically, this paper analyses existing forms of interaction between actors within two European cities: Krakow (from a new member state) and Glasgow (from an old member state).