Application with paper proposals and selection procedure are closed. Papers were invited on the Main Conference Theme, General Session or on the themes of the various Working Groups which are announced for the conference. 

Main Conference Theme: "Regionalization and Inter-regional Cooperation"

The difference between trans-boundary issues, largely driven by globalisation and European integration and conventional authority based on sovereign state, leads to new challenges in governance. Regionalisation emerges in Europe and beyond as a process in which nation states, within geographic proximity, take collective measures to cope with these challenges.

Regionalisation was a flourishing neo-liberal idea in the nineties in Europe, assuming that regional decentralisation would strengthen economic competitiveness, deepen integration and lead territorial reforms. The regionalisation was driven by inner forces (such as ethnic movements), but mostly by the regime of Structural Funds and by European money for cross-border cooperation. The results are contradictory. Many member states remained centralised, regional disparities did not decrease and inter-regional co-operation was asymmetric due to the different positions and conditions of regions.
With the increasing tendencies towards regional cooperation, a new issue thus arises as to the interaction between regions. In fact, the more regionalised they become, the more necessary it is for them to be willing to build connections to each other. In Europe, inter-regionalism and trans-regionalism therefore become a further step which regional blocks take to build a layer in the hierarchy of European governance. In spite of there being insufficient studies on regional disparities, we can see that together with the reduction of the state sector in the economy, inter-regional disparities have grown and declined, with a tendency, in reality, to become dominant. We have to consider that there is a scepticism concerning the idea that regionalisation is the only way forward to a more successful economic development, although the most recent documents of the EU still emphasise the importance of regions and MLG.

There is a tension between global and local forces in public policymaking among the main actors:
-the territorial (nation)state,
-the region,
-the network,
-and the EU institutions in the case of the EU.
Globalisation results in increasing dependence on the outside world. On the other hand, regionalisation implies that the public policy process is bound to a local and regional environment. Regional institutions – backed by an increasing regional identity in many countries – have a growing importance in the decision-making and implementation in public policy.

Crucial problems are as follows:
-Do decentralisation and devolution provide relevant autonomy for them?
-Can they counterbalance the impact of globalisation?
-Did the subsidiarity principle support the growing autonomy of the regions?
-Cross-border regions are emerging throughout Europe. What is the difference between the impact of decentralisation, separatism and region-building? (Why are the two questions connected? The last one is a "separate” issue with no general relevance for cross-border cooperation)
-What will be the future of MLG in Europe?
-What about the emerging macro regions (Baltic, Danube, Mediterranean)?
-To what extent could the European institutions (Congress of Local and Regional Authorities; CLRAE; Committee of the Regions, CEMR and Assembly of European Regions) strengthen the influence and representation of the regions within the different national and supranational institutions?
-How could the territorial role of urban networks and regional governments be harmonised?
-What are the lessons learned?

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In order to include a wide array of potential contributors and to make the NISPAcee Annual Conference even more attractive to Public Administration and Policy scholars, experts, and practitioners and to further enhance its position as one of the most important meetings in the field internationally, the 21st NISPAcee Annual Conference will again include General Sessions, in which papers that cover topics, which go beyond the conference or working group themes, can be presented. The only criteria for acceptance are (a) scholarly quality, (b) interest of the topic and (c) "from or about the region”, i.e. papers should come from Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, or be about that region.

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Working Groups

I. Working Group on Local Government

II. Working Group on e-Government

III. Working Group on Civil Service

IV. Working Group on PA Reform

V. Working Group on Internationalization and Networking of Public Administration Studies and Civil Servant’s Training Systems

VI. Working Group on Public Finance and Public Financial Management

VII. Working Group on Public Policy Analysis Development Issues

VIII. Working Group on Public Administration Education

IX. Working group on Administration and Management of Internal Security Agencies

X. Working Group on Good Governance, Human Rights and Development in Weak, Crisis and Post-conflict States