Lobbying in the new Europe

TheTreatyofLisboncameintoeffecton1December2009.ItgivestheEUanewprimarylawframeworkandhassignificantlyenhanceditscompetenceandimportance,therebycausingaremarkableincreaseintheEU′sinfluence.Certainchangesinthevotingproceduresshouldbeparticularlysignificantforcompanies:alongsidethedoublemajorityruleinCouncildecisions,undertheLisbonTreaty,onlyamajorityisnowrequiredinmanyareaspreviouslygovernedbytheprincipleofunanimity.Foremostexamplesherearejusticeandinternalaffairs,foreigntradeandagriculture.Persuadingitsownnationalgovernmentthatitsconcernsarelegitimateis,therefore,onlyoflimitedbenefittoacompanyasindividualMemberStatescaneasilybeoutvotedinBrussels.Astrongpositioninthecompany′s"homeMemberState"onlycanrapidlybecomeaninsignificantminorityposition.Nevertheless,Europeanactionsandproceduresremainobscureandinaccessibleformanycompanyheads.Companies,forthisreason,oftenfailtoseemanyopportunitiesandchanceswhichadeeperunderstandingofandastrongpresenceintheEuropeancapitalcanofferabusiness.ItisnotsimplytheunderlyingconditionsforcompaniesinoneMemberStatewhichareatstake,butrathertheconditionsgoverninganinternalmarketwitharound500millionconsumers.TheneedforeffectiveandefficientlobbyinghasincreasedduetotherecentrenaissanceoftheStateobservedinthecrisis:inthecontextofpartialnationalisation,far–reachingregulationofentiresectorsandageneralincreaseinstatecontrolofcompanydecisions,goodchannelsofcommunicationtolegislativeandexecutivedecision–makersaremoreimportantthanever.ThepublicationhelpstoguidecompaniesthroughtheintricaciesofBrusselsandoffersaninsightintothecomplexbutdiverseandinterestingserviceoflobbying.Itisdesignedasapracticaltoolespeciallyfordecision–makersandexecutivesincompanies.Numerousfiguresandtablesillustratethetext.MaintopicsincludethecharacteristicsoflobbyingattheEuropeanlevel,takingaccountofthechangesbroughtaboutbytheTreatyofLisbon,thenotionofalobbyist′s"practicaltools"andfinallysuggestionsforacompany′sstrategicpositioningvis–a–visdecisionmakersintheEuropeanlegislatureandexecutive.