Policy Transfer and Territorial Governance in the European Union

The field of policy transfer is highly complex. This is particularly true when it comes to territorial governance, which is not a policy per se, rather a process integrating several context-dependent policy fields. This contribution presents a conceptual framework developed within the project ESPON TANGO to reflect upon this matter. In particular, it identifies distinct modes of policy transfer in the EU, explaining as many ways through which a certain territorial governance practice in a given domestic context can reach other context(s) that may apply it. The presented framework is expected to help in individuating: (i) what territorial governance elements may be effectively transferred, (ii) what interactive resources may favour the transfer and (iii) what ‘receiving’ stakeholders’ group(s) may constitute the target.