Influencing the EU : an analysis of the way in which interest groups influence EU decision makers

Abstract

The assessment of interest representation in the study of the political dynamics of the European Union's (EU) decision making system and the role played by national and European level interest groups has played a key part in the functioning of the EU and a historic role in the integration of Europe. A vast amount of literature has been written on the subject and much of the European literature on the role of interest groups in the policy process focuses on their participation in policy networks of various types. Justin Greenwood (1997) offers a comprehensive assessment of the operation and significance of the entire spectrum of national and European level organised interests in the EU, while Sonia Mazey and Jeremy Richardson (2001; 1993) in their many publications provide an excellent and well documented guide to the development of European level interest groups in general and specific sectors. Simon Hix (2005; 1999) undertakes an analysis of what interest representation types can be found in the EU while Rinus Van Schendelen and Roger Scully (2003) criticise the simple notion that all legislation should be the responsibility of elected representatives as being unrealistic and possibly even undesirable. 1 However, rarely has there been a focus on interest groups from small countries such as Malta. Naturally, most of these studies have focused on the most dominant players in Europe, whether large and medium-sized member states or influential and well resourced interest groups, players who have been integrated into the Brussels system for many years or those which have significant resources. There is no shortage of advice on how to lobby in the European Union (see, for example, Gardner, 1991; Andersen, 1992; Mazey & Richardson, 1993; Stern, 1994). These sources contain informative and detailed insights into interest representation in Brussels, of which lobbying is one part. However, the standard advice that interest groups should lobby as many influential players as is possible at all times3 has little local application. It is a question of being selective and of highlighting priorities.4 The ability of interest groups to contribute to democratic decision-making procedure of the EU has already been well established. The aim of this thesis will be to examine how small interest groups from small countries, such as Malta, are represented at an EU level, by focusing on feedback from and a comparison of various Maltese interest groups. The work will begin by looking at the different types of interest groups and the types of interests they seek to protect, that form the basis of their existence, from the long term to the short term, the promotional to the protective and from the permanent to the non-permanent. We will see that there is one other option for interest groups by briefly distinguishing between the professional lobbyist and the ordinary interest group. With this acknowledged we will then look at the main categories of actors involved in lobbying the EU, by looking briefly at the growth of EU level interest groups and the various types of EU level groups ranging from those that cover all the member states and beyond to those that represent a distinctly regional area, from the internally weak to the highly organised and well-resourced business groups. After having done this, we will then tum our attention towards the targets of this activity of political pressure. Participating in the EU policy process involves addressing multiple tiers, and institutional and structural factors are of very considerable importance in determining the role of interest groups. With this established we will next be able to review the importance of resources, strategies and tactics of lobbyists to the success of organised interests. In our final Chapter we will then try to analyse the various channels of influence open to interest groups in the EU with a particular focus on how Maltese interests opt to represent themselves at the EU level, focusing primarily on which players represent the best target for local interest groups while having to optimize their limited resources and how this may necessitate a change in the lobbying priorities of Maltese interest groups in the future. In addition we will also review just what Maltese Groups have to say about how they feel they have been represented in the two years since Malta's accession to the EU.