ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the regional policy in relation to the European Union (EU) and in which respects it can be said to be democratic. It is based on the results from an empirical investigation financed by the Federation of Swedish County Councils: 'Regional Development in a European Context - a Democratic Analysis'. The complex problems of democracy and development are especially interesting in relation to the EU-integrated regional policy field. The chapter analyses the idea of development in the plans of the regions, and considers a number of dimensions within the concept of development. In all the Structural Funds plans examined it is the economic/material aspect of development that dominates. In relation to the concept of democracy, the chapter states that the policy area of regional development shows poor results. The argument of rescuing policy from politics is about giving stability and long-term conditions to development policies.
