Models and instruments of cooperation between Institutions, Regions and Territories from a globalised perspective: the case of European macroregional strategies and the Italian National Strategy for Inner Areas.

This paper looks at the possible role of administrative law and regulation in a period of economic crisis when the previous systems in place to protect social values have failed because their primary interest lay in the market. From this perspective fundamental is the role of models and instruments of cooperation between Institutions, Regions and Territories, in particular multilevel governance and macroregional strategies. The paper will analyse macroregional strategy, in particular the Adriatic-Ionian Macroregion (EUSAIR), which presupposes an integrated approach, a collective action that aims at a common goal integrating different actors, policies and funds and whose objective is to coordinate the financial resources available for the benefit of the territories. From this perspective, “capacity building” of the territories and the administrations involved is of vital importance for the success of this new form of cohesion. It is declined in order to ensure the development of forms of cooperation and sharing of best practices, operating, not only at executive level, but also at programming and planning activity in a way to promote the competitiveness of the territories. In line with this approach, looking at the Italian experience, we find the Italian National Strategy for Inner Areas which aims at integrating and encouraging the creation and/or consolidation of integrated forms of government of local municipal public services that respect local characteristics, the size of the entities involved and the needs expressed by the territories.