ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the evolution of cohesion policy governance and budgeting and how subsequent enlargements have shaped the policy. It discusses how the policy's budgetary aims and priorities have changed to address new realities and challenges with respect to the single market, including a geographical shift of funds to the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC). CEECs are organized as unitary systems, with some still quite hierarchical, years after their transition to liberal states. Cohesion policy evolved into a program to redistribute funds to less developed regions throughout Europe in order "to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities". The budgetary allocation of cohesion policy demonstrates the policy's significance. The Single European Act introduces the partnership principle and renamed regional development policy to "cohesion policy." The 2014-2020 cohesion policy program is believed by many to be much more far reaching regarding multilevel governance and the partnership principle as well as both addressing the euro-crisis and re-thinking development priorities and policy implementation.
