Small States in the council of the European Union : the case of Malta and Cyprus

Abstract

In the past twenty years, the European Union was characterized by extensive developments expansion which lead to the political and economic union in existence today. Successive efforts were made, by the way of landmark treaties, to propel European Integration, leading to the accession of smaller states within the European Union. With the majority of EU member states being defined as small states, questions arise on how the smaller states influence EU policy negotiated through the Council, and how they exploit the presidency to push forward national issues on the EU agenda. These questions are sought to be addressed by applying a qualitative research strategy, exploring the cases of Malta and Cyprus in their roles and their activity within the Council, focusing in particular on the Presidencies of both states in 2017 and 2012 respectively. The research shows that although all small states face similar structural disadvantages, the ability of small states to influence the legislation and policies within the Council is dependent on specific variables, including experience of the decision making process within the Council, level of activity, effective negotiation strategies and full exploitation of the resources available to the member state, such as making the most out of the limited human resources. Moreover, small states tend to use their incumbency of the Presidency of the Council to push their national issues on a wider EU agenda, promote their country and use the position as a source of prestige to enhance their international standing by acting as a negotiator, mediator and an 'honest broker'.