The degree of centralisation in the 15 member states of the European Union varies considerably. At one end of the scale there are states like Portugal or Greece, characterised by highly centralised structures of governance. On the other hand, countries like Germany or Belgium have put in place strong federal systems in which subcentral levels of government enjoy considerable powers. Thus, even though all member states of the EU have delegated some powers to territorial or administrative entitiessubordinate to the central government and the central administration, the differences are extensiv |