Richard Sherman Leiden University Lobbying in the EU What we know, What we want to know, And what we might never know (with some observations from my own

Richard Sherman Leiden University

Lobbying in the EU

What we know,

What we want to know,

And what we might never know

(with some observations from my own research)

EUROPOS SĄJUNGAEuropos socialinis fondas MYKOLO ROMERIO

UNIVERSITETAS


Plan of talk General discussion

What we know What we want to know What we might never know

My own research Trade barriers regulation Transatlantic business dialogue


A first question What is lobbying?


Traditional views Political auctions

Smith, Ricardo Political markets

Schattschneider, Truman Political contests

Tullock, Grossman & Helpman


An emerging consensus EU lobbying is a mixture

But not a mixture of auctions, markets, and contests

Instead, a mixture of: Policy networks Demand by EU actors Supply by lobbyists/advocates


Policy network analysis Beyers and Kerremann Mapping connections between interest

groups and EU officials




The ”demand for influence” Christine Mahoney Analysis of European interest groups Who gets funded; who gets access?




QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.


The exchange of information and access Pieter Bouwen What kind of ”access goods” can

different groups provide? Which groups are most valued by EU

institutions?





What we want to know What does this mean for politics? Is policy-making improved by lobbying? Do competing lobbies simply cancel

each other’s effects? Is consultation real, or symbolic?


What we might never know Who has influence? "...no empirical studies could be found which tried to measure directly the efficacy of any real world lobbying project.” (DG-Research Working paper, 2003)

Influence is very problematic to measure

Documents

Richard Sherman Leiden University Lobbying in the EU What we know, What we want to know, And what we might never know (with some observations from my own