The Politics of European Union Regional Policy: Multi-Level Governance or Flexable Gatekeeping?

This book provides an over-view of the key developments in the politics of European Union regional policy from the creation of the EEC to the present day. The discussion of 'who decides what and to what effect' in relation to regional policy is part of the contemporary academic debate about the nature of politics and policy-making in the EU. Bache argues that no single theory can explain the complex politics of EU regional policy-making. In particular, current theories pay insufficient attention to the importance of implementation in shaping policy outcomes. The book concludes that the application of different analytical tools at different stages of policy-making provides the fullest picture of the politics of EU regional policy. This title is published in conjunction with UACES, the University Association for Contemporary European Studies. UACES web site can be found at www.uaces.org>

Ian Bache is a Lecturer in the Department of Politics at the University of Sheffield.