Lidstatenniveau

Lidstatenniveau is a term used in Dutch political science to refer to the level of governance corresponding to the member states in a multilevel system such as the European Union. The term describes the sphere in which national governments, ministries, and parliaments operate and where many policy decisions are formulated and implemented, including areas that are not fully harmonized at the supranational level.

The lidstatenniveau encompasses the actors and processes at the national level, including central government, national administrations, and often subnational authorities within each member state. It involves the formulation of national policy, transposition of EU or international rules into national law, budgetary decisions, and enforcement of policies within the state's territory. In many cases, it interacts with regional or local levels where applicable, creating a layered structure of governance within each member state.

In the European Union context, the lidstatenniveau coexists with the EU level. While the EU sets framework legislation and common rules in many areas, member states are typically responsible for transposing, implementing, and enforcing these rules domestically. The principle of subsidiarity guides decisions toward the level closest to citizens, which often means a strong role for the lidstatenniveau in many policy domains, such as education, healthcare, and certain aspects of social policy, while other areas remain largely at the EU level, such as trade and competition.

The concept is central to studies of multi-level governance and sovereignty, helping to analyze how power and accountability are distributed between national authorities and supranational institutions. See also: subsidiarity, multi-level governance, European Union.