On entering the European Union in May 2005, new member states have been required to adapt to a multi-level system of governance in public policy. In doing so, they draw lessons from the previous enlargement waves. This book provides an examination of the first enlargement group, comparing the results with the experience of recent member states.

On entering the European Union in May 2005, new member states have been required to adapt to a multi-level system of governance in public policy. In doing so, it has been necessary for them to conceptualize learning, institutional and policy adaptation within the EU system of governance, and to draw lessons from the experience of previous enlargement waves. Through the lens of regional and environmental policy, this book provides an in-depth examination of the first enlargement group, comparing the results against the experience of the most recent EU member states. It makes an important contribution to the literature on the transformation of domestic policy-making structures as a result of the increasing Europeanization of public policy. Additionally, the book touches upon crucial aspects of the integration process in Europe, such as the impact of on governance structures, the enlargement process and the institutional prerequisites for achieving social and economic cohesion in both East and West Europe.

Theoretical Framework and Methodological Approach
EU enlargement and multi-level governance in European public policy-making: actors, institutions and learning, Christos J. Paraskevopoulos
Domestic Governance Structures in Regional and Environmental Policies
National Case Studies
Multi-level governance versus state centralization in Greece, Demetropoulou Leeda, Getimis Panayotis and Markantonis Vasilis
The challenge of Multi-Level governance and Europeanization in Ireland, Nicholas Rees, Brid Quinn and Bernadette Connaughton
Portugal: domestic patterns of governance, societal forces and the limits of Europeanization, Helena Rato, Joao Salis Gomes, Miguel Rodrigues
Governance in regional and environmental policies in Hungary: challenges of Europeanisation and adaptation, Peter Futo, Ilona Palne Kovacs, Tamas Fleischer
Between institutional legacies and the challenges of Europeanization: governance and learning in regional and environmental policies in Poland, Aleksandra Jewtuchowicz, Malgorzata Czernielewska-Rutkowska
Europeanization of Regional and Environmental Policies and Domestic Policy change
Comparative Perspectives
Europeanization of policy-making and domestic governance structures in regional policy: cohesion and CEE countries, Nicholas Rees, Christos J. Paraskevopoulos
Europeanization of policy-making and domestic governance structures in environmental (waste management) policy: cohesion and CEE countries, Vasilis Markantonis, Panayiotis Getimis, Christos J. Paraskevopoulos
Coping With Multi-level Governance
Policy Implications
Coping with multi-level governance: patterns of learning and adaptation in public policy-making in cohesion and CEE countries, Christos J. Paraskevopoulos
Conclusions
Domestic governance structures and policy learning East and West: the limits of Europeanization, Panayiotis Getimis, Christos J. Paraskevopoulos, Nicholas Rees
Appendix
Descriptive Graphs
Bibliography
Index.