Understanding and influencing the EU

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Understanding and influencing the EU

• 08/18/2004
• Nicolas DAHAN
• Marne-la-Vallée University

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Understanding and influencing the EU

• PLAN OF PRESENTATION
• A brief on the EU
• EU lobbying
• Why should firms care ?
• Who are the Brussels lobbies ?
• How to lobby effectively ?
• Case study
• The revision of the EU chocolate directive

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PART 1 A BRIEF ON THE EU
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What is the EU ?

• An economic union (first pillar)
• The biggest free-trade zone in the world
• With a single external tariff
• With common economic policies
• With a single currency, the Euro for 12 countries
• A political union (second and third pillars)
• Diplomacy and Defense
• Justice and Home Affairs

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How does the EU work ?
Commission
Initiative
European Parliament
European Council

• EU decisions
• EU regulation
• EU directive
• EU recommendation

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PART 2 EU LOBBYING
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Why should firms care ?

• Several reasons
• Increase in scope of EU competencies
• EU decision-makers are very open to dialogue with
  interest groups, because
• They feel remote from the field
• They are understaffed
• They are generalist law-makers, not technical
  experts
• They need to increase their own legitimacy
• They need the support of interest groups
• Most big firms are already present in Brussels

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Why should firms care ?

• 3 areas of EU public policies impacting firms
  most
• Subsidies, aids, tax exemptions, public
  contracts,... (  treasure hunting )
• Product regulations (setting standards, labelling
  norms)
• Conpetition policies (ex MA, faire
  competition, trade, national subsidies)

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Who are the EU lobbies ?

• Economic lobbies
• Individual firms
• Business associations

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Examples of business lobbies
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Examples of business lobbies
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Who are the EU lobbies ?

• Social lobbies
• Very diverse
• Most lack resources few are influential
• An increasing participation in the public debate

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Examples of social lobbies
EWL
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How to lobby the EU ?

• A combination of infuence channels, depending on
  the situation
• Through various institutions
• Individually and/or collectively

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Main EU influence channels
COM
EP
Council
National ministry
Eurogroup
National association
FIRM
individual action collective action
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Main political influence methods

• 2 influence strategies pressure Vs cooperation
• Main political tactics
• Campaign financing
• Grassroots campaign
• PR campaign
• Recreational services
• Media campaign
• Ad hoc coalitions
• Direct lobbying
• Institutional participation

Least effective
Most effective
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PART 3 CASE STUDY
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Case study

• The revision of the EU directive on chocolate

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The EU chocolate directive

• The goal creating a single market for chocolate
• Difficulties
• Differing national tastes and production
  processes differing national legislations
  national protectionism
• Extra members joining and making it more
  complicated 1973, 1995

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The EU chocolate directive

• Main events
• Attempt to harmonize by Commission in 1979, 1985,
  1992 to no avail
• 1995- new impetus,
• 1996-2000 a classical co-decision procedure

Vs the COCOA CAMPAIGN Cocoa producing
countries Social lobbies
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The EU chocolate directive

• The final decision
• A very subtle compromise
• A relative victory for CAOBISCO and the big
  chocolate manufacturers
• A relative defeat for developing countries
• Little impact on EU consumers