Efficient Institutions and External Trade Policy Management Can Increase the Influence of a Small Country on the International Stage

The paper focuses on a country’s external trade policy management in relation to the processes within its sub national entities. Its main goal is to identify an optimal approach to realizing the national interests of a small EU member state at the international/sub national level. We argue that influence on certain decisions does not necessarily solely depend on the power (i. e., size) of a country, but also depends on other factors, such as the country’s goals and ability to form alliances. We confirm that institutions are of key importance for efficient external trade policy management – small countries in particular can increase their influence at the international level substantially if they are capable of efficient process management and forming alliances with sub national actors. After analysing the systems in selected eu member states, we make proposals for enhancing the trade policy management process in Slovenia.