Small states in EU negotiations

Based on a comprehensive survey conducted in 2009, this article analyses similarities and differences in the policy-shaping activities of all 27 European Union member states in the day-to-day policy-making process of the EU. It shows that some states participate more actively in EU working parties and the COREPER than others. Do bigger states use negotiation strategies more frequently than smaller states? Do the available capacities crucially influence how frequently a delegation employs negotiation strategies in a particular policy field? The article develops a set of willingness- and capacity-related hypotheses and tests them using qualitative and quantitative methods. It shows that small states can surmount size-related difficulties most importantly through the accumulation of expertise. Thus, size is what states make of it. Small states are neither per se political dwarfs nor power-brokers.