'Europeanisation' and 'democratisation' are often interpreted as one-sided processes: so-called candidate countries have to adapt to rules and legislation standards of the EU. This perspective leads to a range of problems, however. On the one hand, characteristic Western or EU forms are not easy to describe, as the degree of heterogeneity is relatively high. On the other hand, this perspective includes a hierarchical structure ' implicitly or explicitly. How are such perspectives perceived in East Central Europe? What are the potential consequences stemming from perceptions of being 'second-class Europeans'? This article shows that the most problematic situations arise when relations to the EU are interpreted as multidimensionally hierarchical, i.e. politically, economically and culturally. In sum, it seems problematic to talk about 'Europeanising': while 'Europe' is a cultural term, 'EU' is, rather, a technical, administrative and political one. Therefore, this article suggests replacing the term 'Europeanisation' with the more precise term 'EU-isation'.