Policy Integration in EU Governance: Stakeholder Perspectives on National and Regional Partnership Plans

Recent discussions on the future of European Union governance highlight a growing emphasis on integrated policy frameworks that align agricultural, territorial, and socio-economic development objectives within unified strategic planning systems. One of the proposed innovations for the next EU programming period is the introduction of National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs), which aim to coordinate several EU funding instruments within a single national planning framework. This article explores stakeholder perspectives on the development of integrated policy planning in this context. The analysis is guided by analytical propositions derived from the literature on policy integration and multi-level governance, focusing on how stakeholder interpretations influence strategic priority alignment, perceived policy trade-offs, and governance coordination capacity. The study is based on a qualitative focus group discussion involving policy stakeholders, researchers, and institutional representatives in Lithuania. Using thematic analysis, the study examines how stakeholders interpret integrated planning concepts, identify strategic priorities, and assess governance challenges associated with policy integration. The findings reveal three key issues shaping stakeholder perspectives. First, conceptual ambiguity surrounding strategic priorities such as competitiveness, regional vitality, and sustainability may complicate policy coordination. Second, perceived conflicts between economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability may be less pronounced than often assumed. Third, the implementation of integrated policy frameworks requires stronger governance capacity, including improved cross-ministerial coordination and shared monitoring systems. The article contributes to research on policy integration and multi-level governance by providing empirical evidence on how policy actors interpret integrated strategic planning frameworks and how these interpretations shape perceptions of governance capacity, policy trade-offs, and stakeholder participation in EU funding reforms.