interpretations of European integration - as it evolved in EU regional policy-making. After sketching the crucial analytical lines of … the current debate on "partnership" on the example of the implementation of the EU structural policy in Germany, I examine … reported insights into the prac-tice of "partnership", this "new mode of EU governance" thus needs to be reassessed. …

empirical analysis of the EU policy process should be aware of some sensitive points concerning both 'internal' consistency and … 'external' theoretical constraints. Drawing on a case study of the EU poverty programmes, three behavioural patterns … lead to faulty judgements about the actual degree of Commission autonomy in EU public policy-making …