The invisible hand of the EU: Europeanisation of spatial planning in two non-EU countries

Whereas the Europeanisation of spatial planning in the Member States is extensively researched, few studies have focused on non-Member countries. To shed some light on the matter, this contribution analyses how the European Union (EU) has influenced spatial planning organisation and practices in Albania and Switzerland. Starting from a conceptualisation of Europeanisation as an iterative cycle of uploading and downloading influences that link EU-level territorial governance with domestic spatial planning systems, the authors explore the differential impact that various drivers of change – rules, resources and discourses – have produced in the two countries at the national, subnational and local levels. • The EU exerts influence on non-EU countries. • The magnitude of resources determines the extent of the impact. • In both Switzerland and Albania the impact varies depending on the administrative levels. • The extent of this influence is context- and path-dependent. • Switzerland’s pragmatic attitude has balanced Albania’s willingness to join the EU.