Interest Groups

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Interest Groups

• Interest groups
• Functions of interest groups at EU level
• Types of interest groups
• How interest groups work

2
Reading related questions

• Why are some i.g. more influential than others?
• How important are strategies and tactics of i.g.?
• Why is the commission particularly receptive to
  i.g. approaches?
• What are the difficulties in regulating the
  activity of lobbyists?
• How does lobbying fit into a democratic system
  like the EU?

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Interest groups

• Def. A group/companies/individuals who feel that
  they can affect policy-making at the European
  level.
• A means to redress existing democratic deficits?
• Issues of pluralism, corporatism and
  consociationalism

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What is consociationalism?

• Some societies deeply divided (ethnicitiy,
  religion, language, culture) Austria, Belgium,
  Netherlands, Switzerland
• Groups have/had their own schools, churches,
  associations etc.
• Peaceful co-operation at the elite level, elites
  have mandate to speak and bargain for their
  groups
• A model for Europe?

5
What is (Neo-)corporatism?

• Arrangement where state manages macro-economy by
  bargaining with unions and capital (social
  partners)
• Associations privileged, membership (almost)
  mandatory
• Reduces transactions costs, often quite efficient
  and successful in small economies
• A model for Europe?

6
What is pluralism?

• Stems from liberalism
• Classic (American) pluralism
• No common greater good
• Government cannot know what is best
• Market-place like struggle for influence
  legitimate
• Government as a clearing house
• Neo-pluralism (continental)
• Accepts basic tenets
• But government protects generally accepted
  principles (human rights, democracy)
• And actively sponsors weak interests (children,
  poor people)

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Problems with Pluralism

• Leftist critique different interests
• Differ in their blackmailing potential
• Their resources and their ability to organise
  potential members
• Rational choice critique
• Lobbying by interest groups is a collective good
• Rational people will try to free-ride
• Interest will not organise unless
• They affect a small number of people and are
  highly specific
• Government intervenes
• Some other conditions apply

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Interest representation and the EU

• The Washington model
• EU increasingly focus of interest representation
• Reason interest groups always look for new
  opportunity structures independent from state
  influence
• EU attractive because of multiple access points
  in an institutionalized multi-level governance
  (Mazey and Richardson 2005)
• EU institutions seek institutionalization of
  mutual information exchange patterns

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Functions of interest groups at EU level

• important role in decision-making process
• Collect information on initiatives at regional
  and national levels in member states
• Collect information at the European level

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Functions of interest groups at EU level

• To inform the agenda for discussion
• To focus attention on the issues of the moment
• Inform and advise policy-makers (at all levels)
  of issues and concerns.
• Encourage and influence decision-makers to act in
  their favour

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Main Types of lobbying

• Sub-national and regional groups within member
  states
• Private and Public companies (big companies
  direct lobbying, car industry)
• National groups (environmental groups, US groups,
  Boeing)
• Eurogroups 700 at the European level,
  agriculture, petrochemical, pharmaceutical
  industries

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Commercial Lobbyists

• Important and often needed by EU
• After the SEA the numbers of such firms grew
  enormously (legal harmonization, standardization)
• 1000 firms involved in Euro-lobbying with some
  form of presence in Brussels
• Mostly law or accountancy firms

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Commercial Lobbyists

• 1 to 20/30 employees
• Few well established and respected firms
• Actual effectiveness of lobbyists over-rated
• Most successful companies advise clients how to
  go about reaching into EU rather than doing it
  for them
• Survey (1998) revealed that more firms attempt to
  lobby the Commission directly by bypassing
  European or national associations

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Sub-national/Regional representation in Brussels

• UK 25
• France 23
• Germany 21
• Spain 20
• Italy 19
• Netherlands 15
• Austria 12
• Poland 12 Total 192

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Trans-national groups

• Hix suggests 1500 groups
• 50 Industry and commerce
• 25 Agriculture and Food interests
• 20Services
• 5 TUs, environmental interests etc.
• Umbrella organisations COPA Cttee of
  Professional Agricultural OrgsUNICE Union of
  Industrial and Employers Confederation of
  EuropeETUC European Trade Union Conference

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Organisational Model

• In a nationally based lobby group (unanimous
  decision)
• As a loose coalition of national organisations
  (affiliates, annual meeting)
• As a concerted European group operating at the EU
  level (highly developed)

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Working methods

• Focus for Action
• National Governments (Ministers hardly available
  only when governments look favourable on its
  cause e.g. try to influence decision-making)
• Permanent Representations (nationals)

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Working methods

• The Commission (main target, because
  approachable initiation stage. Com needs i.g.
  for support, both sides are actively involved in
  communication, meeting and briefing)
• The European Parliament grown role shown through
  i.g., MEP are lobbied, EP/Com initiative,
• Cross-institutional lobbying (depends on issue,
  decision-making procedure)

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Methods to push a cause

• Provide information in response to requests for
  information from EU institutions
• Responding to initiatives by European
  institutions
• Close contact with staff of European institutions
  either to gain advance information of likely
  initiatives
• Lobbying directly MEPs, Commission and Permanent
  Representatives

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Rules of Lobbying

• Develop good advance intelligence (helps you
  prepare response)
• Watch national agendas (can become European
  issues very quickly sometimes)
• Lobby early (80 too late)
• Stay in the whole race

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Rules of Lobbying

• Maintain good links
• with Commission Officials
• with national officials in capitals and COREPER
• with the EP
• Present rational, technical arguments (rather
  than emotional ones)
• Be co-operative, positive and trustworthy

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Effects of lobbying on the interest groups

• Some bodies treated as insiders
• Bodies develop management structures and
  operations that lose contact with those they are
  supposed to represent
• Reverse Stockholm syndrome Groups become so
  closely enmeshed with community structures, that
  objectives become practicable rather than
  vital or desired by the groups themselves

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Conclusions

• Pros
• broadens participatory base of EU,
• Improve quality of decision-making
• Cons
• Some (e.g. industry) are more influential than
  others e.g. (consumer interests) undemocratic,
  unfair
• Limits of lobbying
• Decisions taken by politicians
• Cross-issue bargaining
• The number of actors increases uncertainty of
  outcome

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Class questions

• How important are European interest groups in EU
  decision making?
• How do they work?
• Does this increase or reduce the Unions
  democratic deficit?