The Cohesion versus Better Spending Debate During the Negotiation of the EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2014–2020

The paper reviews the negotiations on the EU multi-annual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020 which took place between 2011 and 2013 and involved all EU member states and institutions. Focus is put on the debate regarding the funding of the Cohesion Policy, which emerged as the most contentious issue throughout the negotiation process. By following the reasoning lines of the coalitions built around this controversial issue and how the diverging interests were accommodated to allow the advancement of negotiations, it concludes on the significance of the achieved compromise for the EU growth and convergence related goals, as well as with respect to the inter- institutional balance and the relations between member states within the European Union.