GOVERNANCE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

The contributions in this volume explore whether a network mode of governance is emerging in the European Union (EU). They identify a complex mixture of different governance modes-networks, pluralism, corporatism and statism-at both European and member state levels as well as in different policy areas and sectors. This pattern and the overlap of elements reflect the dynamic character of the European Union and its heterogeneous composition on the one hand and areaspecific variations on the other. Nevertheless, most of the studies have shown that most EC policy areas have network elements of governance which, in turn, have important transformational repercussions on the member states’ own modes of governance.