Basics

Question 1

Key facts about lobbying in EU

Answer 1

• 11,000+ organisations and individuals registered in transparency register, some with offices in BXL (growing); employed staff: ca. 30,000, budget 1 bln €
• mostly corporate organisations (5,000+), then NGOs (3,000+)
• www.lobbyfacts.eu
• Chemical Industry spends most money on lobbying
• Google has most meetings with EC
• Fleishman-Hillard has most EP passes

Question 2

Differences lobbying in the EU and the US

Answer 2

• EU: consensus; US: decision-makers biased by arguments of their constituents’ needs
• EU: campaign money not important; US: reliance on PACs and individual contributions
• EU: decisions based on data and rational arguments; US: “hard data” helps, but shaping opinions through PR tactics and political deal-making trumps arguments
• EU: time horizon for passing legislation can take 10 years; US: quick enacting
• EU: NGOs well-respected and shape policy; US: NGOs often sidelined
• EU: no EU-wide media shaping public opinions; US: media outreach powerful
• Language: US: English; EU: 23 official languages

Question 3

Origins of Lobbying

Answer 3

• latin origins (“lobium”), “to lobby” became a verb in 1832 (-> US President Grant)
• lobbying in EU started in mid 1980s (SEA, qualified majority voting, more important role of EP)

Question 4

Definition of Lobbying

Answer 4

• no common legal definition

European definition: All activities with the objective of directly (inside lobbying) or indirectly (outside lobbying) influencing the formulation or implementation of policy and decision-making processes of EU institutions, regardless of where they are undertaken and the channel used
-> if within definition -> obligation to register

Question 5

Activities not covered/excluded by ‘lobbying’ definition -> no register entry

Answer 5

• a broad range of advisory work and legal consulting (“lawyer problem” -> grey zone)
• activities of social partners performing roles assigned to them in the Treaties
• churches and religious communities
• political parties
• public authorities and governments

Question 6

Country specific regulations

Answer 6

• some countries only include organisations who have a minimum expenditure for lobbying (e.g. US: $2,000 per 3 months in fees/ $10,000 per 3 months expenditure)
• latent interest groups (organisations with main objective of influencing policy) -> requiring more than one political contact