Reflections on Governance: Power Relations and Policy Making in Regional Sustainable Development

The focus of this article is the application of the concept of governance in regional sustainable development policy making. First, the article discusses the current theoretical discourse on governance and looks at how governance is framed within European Union (EU) policy-making documents. Second, it discusses these more theoretical aspects within the field of regional sustainable development by using examples from various regions across Europe. Regions are identified as a very appropriate level for sustainable development and related issues of policy making. Therefore, a special focus will be given to the EU Structural Funds and how they promote the uptake of sustainable development at the regional level. The article aims to contribute to the debate on regional sustainable development by critically reflecting upon and analysing governance strategies in regional sustainable development policy making. The main argument of the article is that the power relations between the different institutions and stakeholders must be taken into account in any governance approach. Only when clear frameworks of rules, responsibility and accountability are discussed in an open manner can one find a way to understand policy making in an ever-changing society.