ABSTRACT
In Europe, partnership has been a fundamental principle for implementing structural interventions in general, and regional policy in particular. This chapter examines the evolution of regional partnerships over time, taking the European Union (EU) as a case study and evaluates their performance and impact. After experimentation in the context of the Integrated Mediterranean Programs of France, Italy, and Greece, a new delivery system was introduced, based on four principles: indicative programming; concentration of measures and financial resources on limited priorities and objectives; additionality of EU resources; and partnership. Member states were obliged to set up or to develop institutional capacity to assume the new responsibilities of regional programming, monitoring, and management at a decentralized level. On the downside, critics see the lengthening of the decision-making process for regional policy as a loss of efficiency. "Europeanization" and decentralization have also challenged national and regional patterns and their territorial interaction, and often required time-consuming adaptations and arbitration.
