British Devolution and European Policy-Making: Transforming Britain into Multi-Level Governance

In 1999 the Blair government introduced British devolution as part of a major programme of constitutional reform. This development posed major questions concerning how relations with the European Union would be affected. Previously, policymaking in the UK had been centralized on Whitehall and Westminster. However, devolution to Scotland and Wales introduced new actors; the Scottish Executive and Parliament, and the National Assembly for Wales. This study explores the institutional changes designed to accommodate these devolved authorities, whilst maintaining a central role for the UK government.

SIMON BULMER is Jean Monnet Professor of European Politics in the Department of Government at the University of Manchester. His principal research interests are in European Union governance and EU-member state relations. His most recent book is Germany's European Diplomacy: Shaping the Regional Milieu.

MARTIN BURCH is Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Manchester. He has published extensively in the areas of policy studies and British politics and is co-author, with Ian Holliday, of an institutional analysis of the UK core executive, The British Cabinet System.

CAITRÍONA CARTER is Lecturer in the Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh. She is a member of the Europa Institute and author of work published in the areas of EU social policy and the role of national and sub-member State parliaments in the EU multi-level governance system. Her current research activities are to assess the impact of UK devolution on UK-EU governance arrangements across a number of public policy areas.

PATRICIA HOGWOOD is Lecturer in the Department of Politics at the University of Glasgow. She is co-author, with Geoffrey Roberts, of European Politics Today. She has recently published on coalition theory and practice and on aspects of German political identity and is currently writing a book on the consolidation of German unification.

ANDREW SCOTT is Professor in the Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh.He has published extensively in economic and governance aspects of European integration. His current research interests include the impact of devolution on UK European policy-making; UK economic policy under devolved governance; and EU regional policies.