Abstract
Given GDP variations across CEE regions and with CEE regional structures and development processes only emerging recently, the cohesion situation under EU enlargement is considerably more challenging than when current EU regional policy was launched in 1988. Yet even that reform ran into problems given heterogeneity in the forms of regional governance across the EU. This needs to be fully recognised in the context of enlargement where pre-accession funding has focused on the national level, leading in some cases to over-institutionalisation nationally and relatively little achieved regionally. Building genuine regional institutional capabilities will require time and patience, necessitating monitoring and support along with post-accession Cohesion-type funding. Whilst the Commission has been the dominant actor during the pre-accession period in pressing candidate countries to put in place regional structures and development processes and arguably in attempting to kick-start Multi-level Governance (MLG), CEE national governments have acted as gatekeepers limiting sub-national actors' involvement to (partial) participation only.
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