ABSTRACT
Local authorities across the European Union (EU) have become engaged in a complicated system of shared jurisdiction that crosses the borders of nation states. In order to understand the status of local government supranational organisations and the on-going transformation of Europe’s multilevel polity, this chapter outlines the constitutional status of local government in European Treaties, particularly with regard to local self-government, subsidiarity and multilevel governance. The chapter further examines the top-down impact of EU law and policies on local authorities, and the relevant institutional structures at different levels through which local authorities engage with EU policies.
