EUROPE OF THE REGIONS AND THE FEDERALIZATION OF EUROPE

There is a close connection between regionalism, federalism, and the m ovement to create a united federal Europe. The recent movement to crea te a ''Europe of the Regions'' is one expression of these connections. However, there are many kinds of regions, and certain forms of region al policy that may not necessarily be an expression of either regional ism or European federalism. It might be said, nevertheless, that a ''E urope of the Regions'' is emerging in the weaker sense that, in today' s Europe, significant changes are taking place in the nature and funct ions of the nation-state. These changes are providing new opportunitie s for regions to become more important policy actors in a wider Europe an context. The nation-state, however, is unlikely to disappear.