The Impact of the Concept of Multi-Level Governance on Sustainability and Ecological Transformation in the European Union

Abstract

Sustainable development is a normative paradigm which seeks to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It addresses the economic, environmental and social dimensions holistically. It incorporates social justice, environmental protection and long-term prosperity, and requires effective, inclusive cooperation mechanisms. In the European Union (EU), governance takes the form of a multi-layered model across local, regional, national and supranational levels, representing the institutional and procedural form of such cooperation. However, environmental issues may be overlooked, particularly in countries that are still undergoing industrialisation. As a project of supranational integration, the EU provides opportunities for cooperation through its multi-layered governance mechanisms, which engage public institutions, the private sector and civil society. These mechanisms, which are based on voluntarism, enable flexible policy areas to be developed and promote shared responsibility. Consequently, environmental policies are shaped not only by central governments, but also by diverse stakeholder networks. Within this framework, the European Green Deal provides a transformative strategy for harmonising policies and accelerating the ecological transition. This study aims to interaction between sustainability, ecological transformation and multi-layered governance using country case studies to illustrate the potential and challenges of this inclusive model.

Keywords

• European Union
• Governance
• Multi-level Governance
• Sustainability
• Environment

Çok Katmanlı Yönetişim Kavramının Avrupa Birliği’nde Sürdürülebilirlik Ve Ekolojik Dönüşüm Üzerine Etkileri

Öz

Sürdürülebilir kalkınma, gelecek nesillerin ihtiyaçlarını tehlikeye atmadan bugünün gereksinimlerini karşılamayı amaçlayan; ekonomik, çevresel ve sosyal boyutları bütüncül biçimde ele alan normatif bir paradigmadır. Sosyal adalet, çevresel koruma ve uzun vadeli refah vizyonunu içeren bu yaklaşım, etkin ve kapsayıcı iş birliği mekanizmaları gerektirir. Yönetişim kavramı bu iş birliğinin kurumsal ve süreçsel ifadesi olarak öne çıkarken, Avrupa Birliği (AB) bağlamında yerel, bölgesel, ulusal ve ulusüstü düzeyleri kapsayan çok katmanlı bir modelle somutlaşmaktadır. Ancak çevre-ekonomi gerilimi, özellikle sanayileşmesini tamamlamamış ülkelerde çevrenin geri plana itilmesine yol açabilmektedir. Ulusüstü bir entegrasyon olan AB, gönüllülük esasına dayalı esnek politika alanları geliştirerek farklı ölçeklerdeki kamu kurumları, özel sektör ve sivil toplumu kapsayan çok katmanlı yönetişim mekanizmalarıyla iş birliği imkânı sunmaktadır. Bu kapsayıcı model, çevresel politikaların yalnızca merkezi hükümetlerce değil çok aktörlü yapılarca belirlenmesini sağlamakta; Avrupa Yeşil Mutabakatı da çevre politikalarının uyumlaştırılmasında dönüştürücü bir çerçeve sunmaktadır. Çalışma, kavramsal ve kuramsal çerçevenin ardından farklı ülkelerden uygulama örnekleri üzerinden sürdürülebilirlik, ekolojik dönüşüm ve çok katmanlı yönetişim arasındaki etkileşimi çeşitli vaka örnekleriyle analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Avrupa Birliği
• Yönetişim
• Çok Katmanlı Yönetişim
• Sürdürülebilirlik
• Çevre

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