Lobbying and Advocacy in the European Union: Interest Groups and NGOs

EUR 3022

The course explores the different aspects of lobbying by interest groups and advocacy activities by NGOs at the level of EU institutions and within the Member states. The course includes discussions on the different definitions of lobbying, the links between lobbying/advocacy and corruption, on the issues of transparency and lobbying legislation at the EU level and the level of the Member states. It looks at the variety of group actors, such as corporate interests, local and regional authorities, and other non-economic interests, such as NGOs and their relations with the EU institutions, particularly the Commission and the European Parliament. The final assignment consists of collaboratively designing an advocacy/lobbying strategy for a Brussels-based interest group or NGO.