Part 1 Introduction: regional development agencies - a framework for analysis, M. Danson and H. Halkier; European regional development agencies - a survey, H. Halkier and M. Danson. Part 2 RDAs in Western Europe: regional development institutions - a descriptive analysis for Austria, M. Steiner and T. Jud; twenty years of participation by RDAs in the Netherlands, W. Sleegers; RDAs in Denmark - towards a new type of bottom-up regional policy?, C. Damborg and H. Halkier. Part 3 RDAs in Eastern Europe: RDAs in Poland, G. Gorzelak et al; RDAs in the Czech Republic - future solution of current problems, J. Vozab; transition, institutions and regional development in Hungary, A. Lorentzen. Part 4 RDAs, regional governance and accountability: changing aspects of the role of RDAs in Flanders, G. Allaert and R. Houthaeve; regional development institutions - rural development in the UK, J. Hughes; Scottish enterprise - an evaluation of philosophy, policy and programmes, J. Fairley and G. Lloyd; regional development and political democracy - democratic planning in an EU context?, J. Olsson. Part 5 RDAs and public-private partnership: institutions, innovation and regional renewal - the development agency as animateur, K. Morgan; towards a second generation RDA - the case of ERVET in Emilia-Romagna, N. Bellini et al; entrepreneurs and business people in urban growth coalitions - theory and practice of active participation in local endogenous development, D. Kooistra. Part 6 Policies and evaluation: an analysis of RDAs in Spain from the endogenous development perspective, J. Guzman-Cuevas et al; RDAs and policies in Northern Ireland - strategies and implementation, M. Finnegan; value for money? the effectiveness of regionally-based small firm development agencies, M. Hart et al. Part 7 Perspectives: current and future issues, H. Halkier and M. Danson.