The applicability of selected aspects of the European regional policy approach to Hungary is analysed in the present paper. The balanced approach of European regional development — one combining structural change with performance improvement of existing actors — is contrasted with the one-sided Hungarian approach — one restricting modernisation efforts to facilitating structural change and attracting new economic actors. The paper — funded by the INCO-Copernicus — argues that in order to achieve the required regional transformation, besides institution building, strengthening, i.e. “empowering”, existing regional development institutions is also necessary.