Trading information for access: informational lobbying strategies and interest group access to the European Union

Abstract

Lobbying in the European Union (EU) is defined by an exchange of information: well-informed interest groups supply understaffed and pressed-for-time decision-makers with policy-relevant information for legitimate ‘access’ to the EU policy-making process. While we know quite a bit about the informational needs of decision-makers, an interest group's capacity to meet these needs remains relatively uncharted territory. This analysis examines the informational determinants of interest group access to the EU from a supply-side perspective; namely, how do different types of information and different tactics used to provide this information buy access to different EU decision-makers? Results from an empirical analysis indicate that information tactics are, on balance, more significant determinants of access than information types. The medium, in other words, is more important than the message. I also find that largely discredited ‘outside’ tactics, like organizing public events and launching media campaigns, are very important in granting interest groups access to EU decision-makers.

Keywords:

• Access
• European Union
• information
• interest groups
• lobbying

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

An earlier version of this article was presented at the ECPR General Conference at the University of Iceland, Reykjavik, 26 August 2011. I am indebted to these conference participants as well as the anonymous referees at the Journal of European Public Policy for their helpful comments.

Notes

EUROPA – Transparency Register, available at http://europa.eu/transparency-register/index_en.htm

Brussels-Europe Liaison Office list: http://www.blbe.be/directory/find.asp (accessed September 2009).

Interview, Illona Kish, Secretary General, Culture Action Europe, Brussels, 15 November 2009.

Interview, official, Daimler AG, Brussels, 7 October 2009.

Interview, official, Coca-Cola Ltd., Brussels, 8 December 2009.

Interview, Andrew Jackson, Advisor, BusinessEurope, Brussels, 11 December 2009.

Interview, Hugo Nijkamp, Sea Alarm Europe, Brussels, 7 December 2009.

Interview, official, Bayer AG, Brussels, 9 December 2009; interview, Juliana Wahlgren, Networking and Campaigns Officer, ENAR, Brussels, 18 November 2010.

Interview, Dr Volker Löwe, official, Das Büro des Landes Berlin bei der EU, Brussels, 28 October 2009.

Open consultation is an invitation for interest groups to provide information to the European Commission at the agenda-setting stage of the policy-making process.

Interview, Paul Voss, Manger for Energy and Environment Policy, AEGPL Europe, Brussels, 16 November 2010.

Ibid.

Interview, Dr Marlene Wartenberg, Director, Vier Pfoten, Brussels, 19 November 2010.

Interview, official, Bureau of Nordic Family Forestry, Brussels, 7 December 2009.

Interview, official, Ferrovie dello Stata, Brussel, 10 December 2009.

Interview, John Monks, General Secretary, ETUC, Brussels, 15 November 2010.

Interview, Illona Kish, Secretary General, Culture Action Europe, Brussels, 15 November 2009.

Only public authorities break this trend, providing information through public events more frequently than through letter writing. The difference, however, is only marginal (a matter of a fraction of a percentage point).

Interview, Martin Romer, General Secretary, European Trade Union Committee for Education, Brussels, 17 November 2010.