ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the implementation of the European Union’s regional policy through the use of the Structural Funds. It takes the United Kingdom and in particular the West Midlands region as a case study to explore the extent to which theories of policy networks provide a useful framework for the analysis of this policy field. The chapter aims to provide some insights to the emergence of a ‘People’s Europe’ on the ground as well as in the policy documents and directives emanating from Brussels. It focuses on Objective 2 areas eligible for Structural Funds support because of industrial decline. The chapter examines the ways in which support from the European Social Fund was managed in relation to long-term unemployed people and the integration of young people into the world of work. The relationship among members is characterized by the exchange of resources such as finance, political legitimacy and, crucially, relatively specialized knowledge.
