Within the discussion on European governance and constitutional reforms of the EU polity the so-called "open method of coordination" (OMC) has gained much attention as a procedure that occupies an intermediary place between intergovernmental cooperation and supranational legislation. In this paper we argue that the OMC is even likely to turn into a new concept of deepening integration within a multi-level governance system, if it is applied within certain boundaries and under specific conditions. We explore our argument with respect to the European Research Area which will be the new conceptual framework of the EU's research and innovation policies.