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Forschungs-Initiative NRW in Europa (FINE) Project Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Ulrich von Alemann and Prof. Dr. Hartwig Hummel, the Forschungs-Initiative NRW in Europa (FINE) has started its work in January 1999. Settled at the Heinrich-Heine-Universität in Düsseldorf, it is supported by the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia. Anne Gödde is responsible for research organisation and is contact person for coordination and realisation. Contact Tel.: + 49 (0) 211 - 81 15097 Fax: + 49 (0) 211 - 81 15648 E-Mail: fine@phil.uni-duesseldorf.de Who does what for Europe in NRW?: http://www.database-europe-nrw.eu/ Approach The European Union is a system of multi-level governance. This approach as well as the formula of the Europe of Regions propose a new kind of governance. There are new emerging political spheres, which might increase the power of regions almost automatically. But the strength of a region is not self-fulfilling. Competences and profiles must be campaigned for. All politics is local. That is also true for Europe. If a region belongs to winners or underdogs, is essentially dependent to the possibilities of setting free development potentials in a sense of reconfiguration of political processes. For North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) that is a need for action to keep up with the European integration. North Rhine-Westphalia in Europe The focus of FINE is North Rhine-Westphalia, from municipalities to Europe. The choice of NRW as our objective is of research-political nature. But foremost NRW is a strongly interesting case. On the one hand NRW is in the very core of the European integration, starting with the European Community for Coal and Steel, as well as nowadays the most powerful economic region in Europe, with a unique market access in the heart of the Single market and an innovative landscape from research to production. On the other hand NRW is still in a process of structural change from old industrial heritage to new service markets. Its internal consistency is both of economic urban parts and agrarian rural lands. The historic, socio-economic and geographic heritage of NRW makes it a singular case of great importance. In politics, North Rhine-Westphalia is characterised by its plurality of perspectives. The German capital wandered from the near Bonn to Berlin, nonetheless the federal level is of fundamental importance for our state. The European institutions in Brussels, just a two hours drive away, build the second essential orientation point. This brings high demands for state politics as well as for regional players in enterprises, organisations and municipalities. Concept FINE is devoted to North Rhine-Westphalia and its embedding in complex and dynamic multi-level structures. By this term, we differ consciously from the concept of the multi-level system. Using the more diffuse term of structures, we want to broaden the perspective and to avoid fixed lines. To think in multi-level structures means to portray the possible dimensions of political decision-making from a German state’s perspective in a more comprehensive way. Research on state affairs can not be done without considering overlapping structures. NRW is bound in multi-level structures in a social, economical and political dimension. What does that mean? In face of societal differentiation and globalisation, Landespolitik affects over borders as well as European and federal politics do not stop at these. The political decision-making has got a multi-dimensional character. One can no more differentiate hierarchical levels and decision-structures. Reality is much more complex and diffuse. Multi-level structures might be seen as confusing for North Rhine-Westphalian politics, but it is just the opposite. Political decisions do not run on ideal rails and are hard to follow. Nonetheless they are always adjusted on vertical and horizontal hierarchies. Multi-level structures are no hurdles. They open up opportunities for state politics. So the state of North Rhine-Westphalia keeps strong ties to the Netherlands, our businesses are globally connected and so municipalities even founded organisations for being present in Brussels. Political processes in the region penetrate and cross the borders, in which regional politics were defined. Goals We emphasise a political science perspective in the wide landscape of European integration and regional research. The fundament of FINE is research on our state, embedded in multi-level structures of federalism and European integration, which create potentials and shape the state’s politics. Foremost, it is to bring political decisions in their regional dimension more in the scope of political science research. FINE explores the forms of regional networking to find new political possibilities, which emerge with the development of the European integration. A crucial part of this strategy is to analyse decision making and mediation of interests framing European progression. We assume that there is a need for political science research on Landesforschung with European references, based at the border line between regional and European research. That is the gap FINE aims to fill. Our project is settled in the state capital Düsseldorf, close to state politics and a broad group of relevant players. That is a research-political advantage, which has no other North Rhine-Westphalian research institute. Here, we want to settle, put forth and close the gap. Our goal is to offer a broad spectrum of scientific services. For this purpose, we concentrate on research, communication and cooperation. Beside our own research we want to build a network of researchers and practitioners. To ensure and enlarge that offer, we want to find partners for our work. |