Participation in Governance Arrangements: Is there any reason to expect it will achieve “Sustainable and Innovative Policies in a Multi-Level Context”?

Abstract

The aim of this project is to examine new forms of governance for promoting sustainability and innovation and to place this discussion in the context of a multi-level polity (i.e. the European Union). Its principal hypothesis is that the participation of individuals and organizations in governance arrangements can not only improve both sustainability and innovation, but also make them compatible with each other. And, its second — more implicit — hypothesis is that these arrangements are not only compatible with liberal democracy, but also can contribute to legitimizing the European Union.