Lobbying and Networking in the European Union

In the European Union, networking and lobbying are crucial when it comes to acquiring information and representing interests. Networking and lobbying have an important influence on decision-making processes applied by EU bodies. The complexity of the European Union (decision-making processes, highly diverse interests shaped by national, geographical, cultural, social and economic considerations) constitutes a particular challenge for professional lobbyists who work with politicians, members of the business community, and social partners. How do professional lobbyists link their research with political know-how? How is information gathered and processed, and how are goals and interests pursued most effectively? How do Parliament, Commission and Council assess the influence exerted by lobbyists, and how do they handle this influence? What strategic objectives do they pursue with regard to grants, permits, and legal disputes? These questions and more will be addressed during this seminar by prominent representatives of EU institutions, interest-groups, as well as Brussels-based lobbyists, by means of concrete examples and case studies. This seminar is geared towards all those working in interest-groups, journalists and students, and will be conducted in English.