European Policy Lessons in the Process of Regional Transformation in Hungary

The applicability of selected aspects of the European regional policy approach to Hungary is analysed in the present paper. The balanced approach of European regional development - one combining structural change with performance improvement of existing actors - is contrasted with the one-sided Hungarian approach - one restricting modernisation efforts to facilitating structural change and attracting new economic actors. The paper - funded by the INCO-Copernicus - argues that in order to achieve the required regional transformation, besides institution building, strengthening, i.e. “empowering”, existing regional development institutions is also necessary