This is a future scenario* to show how the charter can create a shift in how Multi-level governance (MLG) is applied in Europe. It has been developed during the “Engagement Interviews”,  (Brussels – 03-04/2012).

* The following story is a fiction imagined during the co-creation process and does not engage the public authorities or stakeholders eventually mentioned.

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SCENARIO

Maija Hämäläinen, Mayor of Turku (Finland)

Building on the experience of how cities and regions around the Baltic sea took action to build the EU Baltic Sea Strategy, some cities around the Mediterranean Sea sharing the same issues and problems launched the idea of building a Mediterranean Sea Strategy, especially to share and coordinate on ecological issues threatening the Mediterranean sea. This idea raised interest among other Mediterranean cities recognizing the necessity to collaborate more intensively on common concerns. But when this initial group of cities brought up the idea of building a Mediterranean Sea Strategy to their member states those did not took it very seriously and nothing happens. Then although it is not their role, the group of cities decides to take action anyway and leveraging on the recently issued Charter on Multi-level Governance, they brought their request to of Mediterranean Sea Strategy directly at EU level engaging the respective state ministries to collaborate and finally build the strategy. Lessons learnt that constitute an interesting precedent in terms of Multi-level Governance are: whatever the level stakeholders belong to and whatever role this level they are supposed to have, they should take action and not wait for the proper level do it.