The author examines the effects of EU structural policy on regional policy in Hungary and Poland in a comparative policy field study. The two countries adapt to the structures and procedures of the European structural funds in different ways. The author analyzes the factors responsible for this based on the implementation of regional pre-accession programs. She focuses on the question of participation of socio-economically diverse regions in these programs and concludes that a specific post-communist governance structure has developed in the area of regional policy in both countries during the pre-accession process.