Based on the preaccession and postaccession experience of the new member states, it has been suggested that EU Cohesion policy will similarly lead to changes in territorial relations within Central and Eastern European countries (Grabbe, 2003; Keating, 2003). Specifically, it is anticipated that Structural and Cohesion Funds will promote the greater involvement of regional-level institutions in economic development, with the potential for wider changes in regional governance structures and policy practice (Ferry, 2003a; Hooghe, 1996). Recent policy developments would appear to support this thesis. In the run-up to EU accession, the Phare programme was used to provide direct support for subnational institutions in the new member states to assist them to prepare for Structural Funds. During the first Structural Funds programme period (2004^06) several accession countries implemented joint Regional Operational Programmes (ROPs), with the prospect of further decentralisation of programme management and delivery responsibilities in the 2007^13 period. As under the regulatory reforms of 1988, 1993, and 1999, the 2006 European Council regulations governing EU Cohesion policy for 2007^13 emphasise the importance of involving regional and local authorities in the design and delivery of Structural Funds programmes (Council of the European Union, 2006). Indeed, the European Commission has argued that the Cohesion policy goal (of promoting growth, jobs, and competitiveness) in the 2007^13 period``will only work if it is owned by all stakeholdersöat EU, national, regional and local levels'' (Hu« bner, 2006, page 2).