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Practical Skills for Regional Co-operation in
Europe AER SUMMER SCHOOL Maramures 29
August 2006
How to work with EU institutions ?
Key Note Speech by Pascal GoergenRepresentative
of the Brussels-Capital Region to the EU
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Practical Skills for Regional Co-operation in
Europe AER SUMMER SCHOOL Maramures 29
August 2006
How to work with EU institutions ?
How to influence EU decisions ?
How can we defend our interests ?
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Content

• Introduction
• Short Definition of Lobbying and Lobbying
  Techniques
• Influencing Tools for Regions in the EU Making
  Process
• An example how to lobby the EU Council ?
• 4. Conclusion good results, enough work

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Introduction reminder

• Specific institutional organisation of Belgium
  federal State with 3 Regions, 3 Communities and 3
  Languages.
• Our Regions have legislative powers (own regional
  laws) international competences in their fields
  (research, transport, environment, regional
  policy,)
• Diplomatic representative of the Brussels-Capital
  Region working in the PermRep of Belgium to the
  EU

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Introduction structure

• Where? Right at the heart of Europe, Rond-Point
  Schuman, inside the Belgian Permanent
  representation to the EU  
• When? Since 1994 (agreement between
• the Federal State and the regional level)
• Who? 1 representative 1 deputy-repres.
• staff
• Organization ?
•  
•   Diplomatically PR and deputy-PR (no
  instructions from them)
•  Administratively Foreign Affairs Administration
  
• Politically Minister in charge of Foreign
  Affairs

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Introduction structure
Brussels-Capital Parliament
Government of Brussels-Capital
Minister-President
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister RD - Employment
Minister of Transport
Minister of Environment
Administration RELEX
Contacts with the regional administrations
Brussels-Capital Region Walloon Region, Flanders
19 local authorities
PR Belgium
Other regional/local partners (Brussels-Europe
Liaison Office)
24 Permanent Representations
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Introduction missions tasks

• Interface between the European institutions on
  one hand (the Commission, the Council, the
  European Parliament, the Committee of Regions,
  the Economic and Social Committee,...) and the
  Brussels-Capital Region on the other
•  
• Defending and representing the interests of the
  Brussels-Capital Region within the European
  institutions
• Anticipating decisions to be taken and monitoring
  the work of the European institutions in close
  collaboration with the Permanent Representation
  of Belgium
• Managing and transferring useful information,
  analysing proposals for Community regulations and
  programms

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Introduction missions tasks

• Monitoring information, providing opinions and
  assistance on European dossiers to the
  Government, the Minister of the Brussels-Capital
  Region, para-regional organizations, the 19
  municipal districts and the inhabitants of the
  Brussels-Capital Region
• Coordinating transposition of European directives
  on the
• scale of Brussels
• Developing relations with other regional
  representations
• present in Brussels in common field (regional
  policy, research, Euromed partnership,)

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How to influence EU decisions ?
How to lobby ?
Practical tips
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Short Definition and Lobbying Techniques (I)

• Lobbying
• There are a lot of definition of the word
  lobbying
•  Lobbying is about trying to influence directly
  or indirectly the process of making, applying or
  interpreting legislative measures, norms,
  regulations or indeed any kind of activity by
  public authorities.
• Some experts consider a lobbyist like a merchant
  of information

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Short Definition and Lobbying Techniques (II)

• Phase 1 Identification of the Objectives
• Reducing costs that will result from a specific
  directive or regulation
• maximising the advantages of a decision or
  minimising its consequences
• anticipating decisions that might be made about
  the implementation of directives or rules
• participating in the preparation of action
  through thematic networks and with other partners
  (lobby actions concerning the regions the ENP)

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Short Definitionand Lobbying Techniques (III)

• Phase 2 Monitoring
• Monitoring includes the identification of
  information providers and decision makers in
  order to gather, organise and use relevant
  information.
• Good monitoring practice consists to set those
  informations into a wider context taking all
  different positions of Member States, political
  parties, technical detail and technological
  evolution likely to affect the subject into
  account.
• Drafting a clear argument for those involved
  

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Short Definition and Lobbying Techniques (IV)

• Phase 3 Developing a strategy
• 4 questions
• What arguments should be used? (clear arguments
  !)
• Who are the individuals to exchange and engage
  with?
• When is the most pertinent moment to act?
• What tactics should be used with what tools?

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Short Definition and Lobbying Techniques (V)

• Phase 4 What tactics shall we use ?
• There is all number of different, strategic
  approaches to consider consensual or
  conflictual, confidential or public, direct or
  indirect.
• Phase 5 the follow up
• Was it successfull ?
• What was wrong in our approach ?
• Evaluation of the lobbyaction

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2. Influencing Tools for Regions in the EU
Making Process (I)

• 2.1. The Institutional Triangle
• the targets
• 2.2. Influencing Tools
• Regional offices in Brussels
• Brussels based Networks (including the AER)
• Political representation from the Regions in
  Brussels

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2.1. The Institutional Triangle
4 main targets for lobbying
Economic and Social Committee
Committee of the Regions
Opinions
Conseil de lUE
Commission
EU Council
Commission
EU Agencies
INSTITUTIONAL TRIANGLE
European Central Bank
Court of Auditors
Parlement européen
European Parliament
European Investment Bank
Deals with complaints
Elects
European Ombudsman
Judicial Control
DIRECTIVES
REGULATIONS
Court of Justice
DECISIONS
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2.2. Tool 1 the regional offices

• Number of regional offices in Brussels between
  1984 and 2006

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2.2. Tool 2 the Brussels Based networks

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2.3. Tool 3 the political representation

• A MEP from your region
• A representative of your region in the Committee
  of the Region
• And why not ? The Commissioner
• Very important to anticipate this
  crucial point before the local/regional/nat
  ional elections !

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3. An example how to lobby the EU Council ?
COUNCIL (9 formations)
COREPER I (technical issues)
COREPER II (political issues)
Deputy PR (Internal market, research, industry,
transport, environment, )
Permanent Representatives (institutional and
international issues, ECOFIN, Justice, )
Mertens
Antici
LOBBYING
Working Groups diplomats, experts, (SAWP,
Research Group,)
LOBBYING
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3. How to lobby the Council ?
1. LOBBYING via PermRep (experts, diplomats, PR,
deputy PR)
In Brussels From the regions (directly via
regional offices) in Brussels From the
regions (via the networks) in Brussels
2. LOBBYING via the Capital
In the Capital From the cities directly via the
Mayor From the regions via the political
way (President to Minister) In the Member States
via the Ministry, the national experts
It is not easy (except for the Federal States
(example of Belgium)
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4. Conclusion good results / enough work
Good results Regional policy good work
concerning the new coperation instrument EGTC
we have it ! Euromed partnership no word about
cities. Now the Euromed Pact (EU cofinancing
Program) Enough work Lisbon Strategy (2000)
no word about the cities/regions New Neigbourhood
Policy no word about local/regional authorities
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• Thank you !

Contact Pascal Goergen Email
pgoergen_at_europ.irisnet.be Website
www.goergen.be