This article is written in three parts and a conclusion. In the first part, a reflection on the state of the art thoughts about the center-periphery ideas is developed. The second part shows how these thoughts could be applied in understanding regional integration processes in general and within the European Union in particular. The third part focuses on the multilevel governance issues and proposes an analysis of the French and German sub-national units at the European Union. As a political process, regional integration is far from bringing only benefits to the parts involved in it. The disparities emerge in multiple levels and they are not confined to national borders. The center-periphery dichotomy is a fact in geo-economical terms, although not in accordance with ideological conceptions as those set up by Prebisch. In understanding integration processes, the multilevel governance perspective seems to be a more adequate point of view, from which one cannot avoid investigating the role of sub-national units.
European Union; Sub-national Units; Governance; Centre-Periphery
