Negotiation is an important part of international relations when it coversthe interaction among the states as its actors. Basically, we distinguishdistributive bargaining and integrative problem-solving as two mainapproaches (or sets of strategies) in negotiation. Problem-solving seems tobe more valuable in recognizing more effective solutions, but at the sametime it is harder to adopt it. The main goal of this article is to find out whichapproach is typical for negotiation between member states of the EuropeanUnion. By identifying the key determinants (level of politicization, nature ofthe question under negotiation, influence of sub-national andsupranational actors, and interest cleavage) for the decision on theselection of an appropriate strategy, we argue that the context of the EUnegotiation enables the identification of integrative solutions in a sufficientway.