The linkage between policy change and institutional
change is, or should be, evident. This
linkage works both ways; policy changes trigger or necessitate institutional changes and, similarly,
institutional changes frequently entail some degree of policy change. In the present context,
decentralisation and European integration have
jointly reshuffled institutional relationships and
created a system where institutions at one level can enter into exchanges with institutions at any
other level and where the nature of the exchange
is characterised more by dialogue and negotiation
than command and control