NEGOTIATING IN THE EUROPEAN-UNION - COMPARING PERCEPTIONS OF EU NEGOTIATORS IN SMALL MEMBER STATES

Negotiation is one of the major tasks of the 15 member states comprisi ng the European Union (EU). However, not much is known about the behav ior and perceptions of those negotiating on behalf of these member sta tes. On the basis of the responses to a survey of EU diplomats and civ il servants of the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, ireland and Portugal , an attempt has been made to develop a profile of ''the'' European Un ion Negotiator. The EU negotiator is less outspoken and more likely to compromise than an ''ideal'' profile of the diplomatic negotiator. Wh ile negotiators from these member states share important behavioral an d attitudinal proclivities, they also differ in many significant ways. This healthy diversity of negotiating approaches is likely to be nurt ured by the cooperative and synergistic atmosphere within the European Union.