Only for the big players? How small and medium-sized cities seek recognition and agency in the European Union

Cities are affected by the European Union (EU) in multiple ways, for example when using funding or implementing EU legislation. However, they need not be just passive recipients of rules or money: cities are increasingly recognised as an integral part of the EU as illustrated by the Lisbon Treaty’s new provisions on local government or programmatic developments like the Urban Agenda for the EU. But while research has focused on large cities in the EU, showing how they develop agency, for example, through lobbying for their interests, we know much less about small and medium-sized cities. Therefore, this paper asks how and under what conditions smaller cities, too, develop agency, despite less favourable conditions compared to their large counterparts. To answer these questions, the paper relies on a concept of agency that includes agency claims on the one hand and recognition of these claims on the other. Furthermore, it takes the concepts of uploading and horizontal networking from Europeanisation literature to distinguish who is addressed by agency claims. Empirically, the paper focuses on German cities, drawing on a quantitative survey and eight qualitative case studies (cities). The analysis shows that small and medium-sized cities are only partly engaged in uploading activities, but very active in horizontal networking. Through our theoretical lens, horizontal networking can be interpreted as a source of recognition that is often considered missing in uploading activities. By linking Europeanisation and city agency literatures, we also contribute to the broader literature on cities’ international agency.