regional governance

Regional governance refers to political and social orders that extend beyond the traditional state. This concept has gained prominence with the rise of new regional regimes and institutions, such as the European Union (EU). These regional bodies often operate on a multilevel governance model, linking supranational agencies with national and local authorities through transnational policy networks.1

These networks are a defining feature of modern regional governance, facilitating cooperation and integration. While some regional projects are loose trading agreements, others, like the EU, involve deeper linkages and a wide range of policy objectives, including security, environmental protection, and human rights. Regional governance can also occur within existing states, creating intermediate levels of administration between local and national communities, or through cross-border collaborations. Economic regionalism, a subset of this, involves institutional arrangements to facilitate trade and coordinate economic policies between countries in the same geographic region.123456