Carlo Panara is Sr. Lecturer in EU and Public Law at LJMU School of Law. Since 2010 he is Research Co-ordinator for the School and REF Co-ordinator for the UOA20 Law. He is widely published in Italian, German, and English. He is author of the monograph ‘Il federalismo tedesco della Legge Fondamentale dalla cooperazione alla competizione’ (Rome: Aracne, 2008). Mike Varney is a Lecturer in Law and Deputy Director of the Institute of European Public Law at the University of Hull. He has research interests in public law, media law and public procurement law and has published in these fields.

• Introduction: The Local Government in the EU Multi-Layered System of Governance, Panara and Varney 1. Municipalities as the "Third Tier" of Austrian Federalism, Harald Eberhard 2. Local Governance in Belgium: A ‘Catch 22’ Between Autonomy and Hierarchy, Alexander De Becker 3. Local Self-Government in the Czech Republic: History, Current Position, Prospective Evolution, Richard Pomahač 4. Territorial Decentralisation in France: Towards Autonomy and Democracy, Irène Couzigou 5. Local Government in Germany: An Indispensable Level of EU Governance, Eike Michael Frenzel 6. Local Authorities in Greece: Organisation, Recent Trends, European Integration, Reform, and the "Kapodistrias" Tendency, Grigoris Avdikos 7. Local Government in Hungary: A Creeping Centralisation?, Zoltán Szente 8. Organisation and Responsibilities of the Local Authorities in Italy Between Unity and Autonomy, Stefano Villamena 9. Local Authorities in the Polder – Dutch Municipalities and Provinces. 10. Local Government in Poland: Towards Consolidation?, Boguslaw Banaszak 11. Ungovernable Spain: Regional Subsidiarity and the Crisis of Local Governance, Gonzalo Villalta Puig 12. Local Government in Sweden: Flexibility and Independence in a Unitary State, Vilhelm Persson 13. Local Government in England: Localism Delivered?, Michael Varney 14. Conclusion: The Contribution of Local Self-Government to Constitutionalism in the Member States and in the EU Multi-Layered System of Governance, Carlo Panara and Michael R. Varney

Carlo Panara is Sr. Lecturer in EU and Public Law at LJMU School of Law. Since 2010 he is Research Co-ordinator for the School and REF Co-ordinator for the UOA20 Law. He is widely published in Italian, German, and English. He is author of the monograph ‘Il federalismo tedesco della Legge Fondamentale dalla cooperazione alla competizione’ (Rome: Aracne, 2008). Mike Varney is a Lecturer in Law and Deputy Director of the Institute of European Public Law at the University of Hull. He has research interests in public law, media law and public procurement law and has published in these fields.

• Introduction: The Local Government in the EU Multi-Layered System of Governance, Panara and Varney 1. Municipalities as the "Third Tier" of Austrian Federalism, Harald Eberhard 2. Local Governance in Belgium: A ‘Catch 22’ Between Autonomy and Hierarchy, Alexander De Becker 3. Local Self-Government in the Czech Republic: History, Current Position, Prospective Evolution, Richard Pomahač 4. Territorial Decentralisation in France: Towards Autonomy and Democracy, Irène Couzigou 5. Local Government in Germany: An Indispensable Level of EU Governance, Eike Michael Frenzel 6. Local Authorities in Greece: Organisation, Recent Trends, European Integration, Reform, and the "Kapodistrias" Tendency, Grigoris Avdikos 7. Local Government in Hungary: A Creeping Centralisation?, Zoltán Szente 8. Organisation and Responsibilities of the Local Authorities in Italy Between Unity and Autonomy, Stefano Villamena 9. Local Authorities in the Polder – Dutch Municipalities and Provinces. 10. Local Government in Poland: Towards Consolidation?, Boguslaw Banaszak 11. Ungovernable Spain: Regional Subsidiarity and the Crisis of Local Governance, Gonzalo Villalta Puig 12. Local Government in Sweden: Flexibility and Independence in a Unitary State, Vilhelm Persson 13. Local Government in England: Localism Delivered?, Michael Varney 14. Conclusion: The Contribution of Local Self-Government to Constitutionalism in the Member States and in the EU Multi-Layered System of Governance, Carlo Panara and Michael R. Varney

Carlo Panara is Sr. Lecturer in EU and Public Law at LJMU School of Law. Since 2010 he is Research Co-ordinator for the School and REF Co-ordinator for the UOA20 Law. He is widely published in Italian, German, and English. He is author of the monograph ‘Il federalismo tedesco della Legge Fondamentale dalla cooperazione alla competizione’ (Rome: Aracne, 2008). Mike Varney is a Lecturer in Law and Deputy Director of the Institute of European Public Law at the University of Hull. He has research interests in public law, media law and public procurement law and has published in these fields.

• Introduction: The Local Government in the EU Multi-Layered System of Governance, Panara and Varney 1. Municipalities as the "Third Tier" of Austrian Federalism, Harald Eberhard 2. Local Governance in Belgium: A ‘Catch 22’ Between Autonomy and Hierarchy, Alexander De Becker 3. Local Self-Government in the Czech Republic: History, Current Position, Prospective Evolution, Richard Pomahač 4. Territorial Decentralisation in France: Towards Autonomy and Democracy, Irène Couzigou 5. Local Government in Germany: An Indispensable Level of EU Governance, Eike Michael Frenzel 6. Local Authorities in Greece: Organisation, Recent Trends, European Integration, Reform, and the "Kapodistrias" Tendency, Grigoris Avdikos 7. Local Government in Hungary: A Creeping Centralisation?, Zoltán Szente 8. Organisation and Responsibilities of the Local Authorities in Italy Between Unity and Autonomy, Stefano Villamena 9. Local Authorities in the Polder – Dutch Municipalities and Provinces. 10. Local Government in Poland: Towards Consolidation?, Boguslaw Banaszak 11. Ungovernable Spain: Regional Subsidiarity and the Crisis of Local Governance, Gonzalo Villalta Puig 12. Local Government in Sweden: Flexibility and Independence in a Unitary State, Vilhelm Persson 13. Local Government in England: Localism Delivered?, Michael Varney 14. Conclusion: The Contribution of Local Self-Government to Constitutionalism in the Member States and in the EU Multi-Layered System of Governance, Carlo Panara and Michael R. Varney