The North of England and the Europe of the Regions, Or, When is a Region not a Region?

The accelerating dynamic of European integration has increased the role and influence of regions in the European Union (EU) at the expense of the primacy of the national governments of the member states. An American commentator, William Drozniak (1994) has declared that 'a resurrection of "city states" and regions is quietly transforming Europe's political and economic landscape, diminishing the influence of national governments and redrawing the continental map of power for the 21st century'.