Sylvain Laurens School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences How the high technicality of EU affairs impacts lobbying in Brussels and its consequences
Data excerpted from this book Sylvain Laurens, Les courtiers du capitalisme : Milieux d’affaires et bureaucrates à Bruxelles (sept. 2015 )
Introduction PRESSURE - A fieldwork that started in 2009 - Archives from EU institutions - Interviews with lobbyists or high ranking civil servants from the EU institutions from the EU institutions - Ethnography of internal meetings of business associations from different economical sectors
Introduction PRESSURE Summary, in five points -1/ The high technicity of lobbying as a byproduct of the rooting of EU institutions -2/ What has changed since the 90’s ? -2/ What has changed since the 90’s ? -3/ New lobbying strategies: “Scientific“ forms of influence -4/ How science is enlisted in battles on norms and labelling -5/ Consequences for democracy
1. The high technicity of lobbying : a byproduct of the rooting of EU PRESSURE institutions Berlaymont building (1968). Source et DR : www.badeaux.be
1. The high technicity of lobbying : a byproduct of the rooting of EU PRESSURE institutions - How the EU bureaucracy built its legitimacy against the administration of member states Extract of an interview with Jean Durieux , DG internal market 1958-1970 , ( Oral History program of the EC): " So I was in charge of industry. So the problem was : what does an Industry division do at the beginning of the European Economic Community ? What can be its task ? (...) We consulted the national administrations of six Member States. [...] And the answer was : "Do not interfere in industrial policy; it is a matter for Member States." (...) Then we saw the business associations . Their position was much more nuanced . The employers began to be sensitive to the idea that industrial structures were not going to remain intact after the test of the unification of markets, increased competition , etc. (...) "
1. The high technicity of lobbying : a byproduct of the rooting of EU PRESSURE institutions -Faced with the Member States: the choice of Commission officials was to prodce European data, asking the business community to collect it. -- But the emergence of a European economic expertise was not so easy.
1. The high technicity of lobbying : a byproduct of the rooting of EU PRESSURE institutions EC Archives (AC 144 1992 644) An official of the DG Internal Market on the issue of economic statistics study groups ( March 1961 ) : -Experts in national employers federations have “low skills, " are caught in " -Experts in national employers federations have “low skills, " are caught in " national ways of thinking - We must " intensify contacts with business associations to improve the homogeneity of the available documentation and fill some gaps ." - " The ground should be prepared by a mental conditioning process to prove the usefulness of good knowledge in each sector"
1. The high technicity of lobbying : a byproduct of the rooting of EU PRESSURE institutions EU civil servants strategy : - Collect contacts of trade associations that agree to help the decision process - Build directories (first register in the 60’) - Build directories (first register in the 60’) - Subsidize UNICE and several business associations.
1. The high technicity of lobbying : a byproduct of the rooting of EU PRESSURE institutions In the 60s’, 70s’ and 80s’, European Business associations are a roundtable of national associations that guarantees civil servants: 1. A synthesis of business positions based on the expertise of different national associations 2. And the absence of counter-lobbying at national level (useful for bureaucrats in a system of decision based on unanimity : “my directive will pass through the council“)
1. The high technicity of lobbying : a byproduct of the rooting of EU PRESSURE institutions Internal functioning of a European business association in the 70’s or the 80’s President elected by the board Board of presidents of national trade associations Board of presidents of national trade associations General Assembly (membership composed by national trade associations) German business association Italian business association French business association Business association from Nederlands business Luxembourg Belgian business association association
1. The high technicity of lobbying : a byproduct of the rooting of EU PRESSURE institutions Externalisation of expertise and production of consensus on European business associations European Commission Business Association Board of presidents Board of presidents Commissioner Commissioner of national associations DG Internal Market Permanent staff Head of the unit Thematic committee fueled Desk officer by expertise of national associations
1. The high technicity of lobbying : a byproduct of the rooting of EU PRESSURE 3. Des organisations patronales « en miroir » des institutions institutions This system was adapted to the evolution of EU institutions and new member States… Number of countries represented within European business associations Year Unde 4 or 5 6 7 to 10 11 to 16 to Over Over NR Total r 4 r 4 15 15 20 20 20 20 25 25 1960 2,2% 34,6% 23,5% 28,67% 3,67% 2,1% / 1,4% 3,7% n=136 1973 2,5% 22,6% 19,7% 29,4% 8,45% 2,46% 1,9% 0,8% 0,7% n=284 1980 4,1% 10,1% 12,7% 41,9% 15,08 3,01% 1% 0,4% 10,8% n=464 1986 2,6% 7,4% 3,3% 20,51% 20,7% 10,16% 1,5% 8% 23,4% n=541
2. What has changed since the 90’s ? This old model of relationships between EU commission and Business associations has been impacted by at least three changes
2. What has changed since the 90’s ? These three changes have made lobbying increasingly science-based because business interest groups are trying to maintain their privileged access to bureaucracy… access to bureaucracy…
2. What has changed since the 90’s ? First Change : The new density of the European quarter “Business is no longer ‘alone’" “Business is no longer ‘alone’"
1973 Source : Laurens et al. 2013, Actes de la recherche en sciences sociales
1991 Source : Laurens et al. 2013, Actes de la recherche en sciences sociales
2009 Source : Laurens et al. 2013, Actes de la recherche en sciences sociales
2. What has changed since the 90’s ? - Half of the NGOs seated in Brussels today arrived in the second half of the 1990’ - And we should also talk about the rise of consultancies, think tanks… (Lahusen 2003) (Lahusen 2003)
2. What has changed since the 90’s ? Second change : Rise of bureaucracy : before and after the legislative process Some MEPs used to say that the European Parliament has got more and more power but we have to consider 1/ The complexity of the logics of the informal trilogu 1/ The complexity of the logics of the informal trilogu 2/ The rise of comitology 3/ The new agencies… Exemple : REACH -> ECHA
2. What has changed since the 90’s ? Third change European Business associations are no longer simple coalitions of national trade associations but are directly driven by European champions or multinational firms This is one of the side effects of the construction of a Common Market. National champions became European champions or multinational firms.
2. What has changed since the 90’s ? Nationality of the first 100 companies in the World (1912-2002) 80 70 60 50 Firmes américaines US 40 Firmes britanniques UK Firmes de la Communauté Européenne (non 30 EU (except UK) britanniques) 20 10 0 1912 1958 1972 1985 2002 2012 Defraigne (Fortune 500)
2. What has changed since the 90’s ? - Today 314 of 754 biggest firms in the world are represented directly or indirectly in Brussels - Today two third of European business associations accept direct membership from major firms. - They also accept direct or indirect membership of non European firms if they have plants or businesses inside the EU. It is now the expertise given by the major firms of the sector that directly fuels the expertise of European business associations (and no longer expertise given by national trade associations) These firms have enough resources to fund scientific forms of expertise
2. What has changed since the 90’s ? Internal functioning of European business associations since the 1990s’ Président of the association Board of CEOs Board of CEOs Advisory committee composed of national associations Membership directly composed of Major firms of the sector National associations
2. What has changed since the 90’s ? New forms of the relationship between the EU commission and interest groups Business European Commission Association Board of CEOs of the major firms of the sector the sector Commissioner Commissioner DG Internal Market Permanent staff Head of the unit Thematic committee with expertise provided Desk officer by major firms
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