In that context, some instruments of coordination and rationalization were supposed to charac- terize the ‘new governance’ paradigm, i.e. without power relations. In the case of the open method of coordination, an instrument to coordinate various policy domains in EU countries without constraints, Dehousse (2004) has decisively shown that the instrument is the policy: i.e. the choice of the instrument is explained by the need to be seen to do something concerning the govern- ance of the EU without political agreements about the goals.