ABSTRACT
The European Union's impact on the member states continues to attract attention both in terms of international relations and national policy-making, while the sub-national level and the impact of its 'Europeanization' is often viewed as the poor relation in terms of the overall 'Europeanization' debate. Though the general need for reform and for a more active role for the regional and local levels became increasingly apparent in the run up to accession, some factors of a more parochial nature also played their part. The Structural Funds methodology influenced the Finnish regional development sphere also more generally, as Finland moved into the era of the so-called 'programme-based' regional policy. The Finnish governance system is marked by its historical duality, where the strength of the central government in the tradition of the unitary state is bolstered by the strength of the constituent parts on the local level, all of which display a high degree of autonomy.
