Lobbyists and Bureaucrats in Brussels

Lobbyists and Bureaucrats in Brussels PDF Author: Sylvain Laurens
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351972502
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 401

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Book Description
With over 30,000 lobbyists in town, Brussels is often called the European capital of lobbying. Despite this, little is known on how this political system works in practice. This book offers an unprecedented window into the everyday relationships between bureaucrats and interest representatives. Where the media only shows lobbyists as they meet MEPs and submit amendments, the book argues that the bulk of their work is done in close contact with EU bureaucrats – a form of ‘quiet politics’ developed by the business community, targeting officials with little public exposure. Based on official archives, the book first sets the historical picture for the emergence of a new layer of bureaucrats; fuelled by European and transatlantic capitalism, it altered the political façade of the business community to fulfil its need for legitimacy. Drawing from observations of internal meetings of the main lobbies operating in Brussels and interviews with lobbyists and Commission officials, the book then shows lobbyists at work. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of the European Union, interest groups, and more broadly to political science and sociology.

Lobbyists and Bureaucrats in Brussels

Lobbyists and Bureaucrats in Brussels PDF Author: Sylvain Laurens
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351972502
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 401

Get Book Here

Book Description
With over 30,000 lobbyists in town, Brussels is often called the European capital of lobbying. Despite this, little is known on how this political system works in practice. This book offers an unprecedented window into the everyday relationships between bureaucrats and interest representatives. Where the media only shows lobbyists as they meet MEPs and submit amendments, the book argues that the bulk of their work is done in close contact with EU bureaucrats – a form of ‘quiet politics’ developed by the business community, targeting officials with little public exposure. Based on official archives, the book first sets the historical picture for the emergence of a new layer of bureaucrats; fuelled by European and transatlantic capitalism, it altered the political façade of the business community to fulfil its need for legitimacy. Drawing from observations of internal meetings of the main lobbies operating in Brussels and interviews with lobbyists and Commission officials, the book then shows lobbyists at work. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of the European Union, interest groups, and more broadly to political science and sociology.

The Field of Eurocracy

The Field of Eurocracy PDF Author: D. Georgakakis
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137294701
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 427

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Book Description
The word Eurocracy has resonance throughout out Europe but in reality we know little about the people who work in and around the EU or how they fit into its large bureaucratic framework. Based on extensive fieldwork, this book addresses this problem by exploring the MEPs, diplomats, civil servants and commissioners that work in and around the EU.

Lobbyists and Bureaucrats in Brussels

Lobbyists and Bureaucrats in Brussels PDF Author: Sylvain Laurens
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9780367886240
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
With over 30,000 lobbyists in town, Brussels is often called the European capital of lobbying. Despite this, little is known on how this political system works in practice. This book offers an unprecedented window into the everyday relationships between bureaucrats and interest representatives. Where the media only shows lobbyists as they meet MEPs and submit amendments, the book argues that the bulk of their work is done in close contact with EU bureaucrats - a form of 'quiet politics' developed by the business community, targeting officials with little public exposure. Based on official archives, the book first sets the historical picture for the emergence of a new layer of bureaucrats; fuelled by European and transatlantic capitalism, it altered the political façade of the business community to fulfil its need for legitimacy. Drawing from observations of internal meetings of the main lobbies operating in Brussels and interviews with lobbyists and Commission officials, the book then shows lobbyists at work. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of the European Union, interest groups, and more broadly to political science and sociology.

Machiavelli in Brussels

Machiavelli in Brussels PDF Author: M. P. C. M. van Schendelen
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
ISBN: 9053565736
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
Countless interest groups representing governments and civil societies try to lobby the European Union effectively in pursuit of the desired legislation, subsidies and more. This book describes the everyday practice of lobbying in Brussels, drawing on extensive research and the author's personal experience. The objective of these interest groups is to influence the EU decision-making, of which they see themselves as a stakeholder. To the existing representative bodies such as the Parliament and the Council, they add their practice of lobbying for a desired outcome by making their interests present or represented at the EU level. In a roundabout way, they contribute to the EU integration and also to its democracy, so long as the following conditions are fulfilled.

The Capital: A Novel

The Capital: A Novel PDF Author: Robert Menasse
Publisher: Liveright Publishing
ISBN: 1631495720
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
“A dark comedy of manners packed with urgency” (H. W. Vail, Vanity Fair), The Capital is an instant classic of world literature. A highly inventive novel of ideas written in the rich European tradition, The Capital transports readers to the cobblestoned streets of twenty-first-century Brussels. Chosen as the European Union’s symbolic capital in 1958, this elusive setting has never been examined so intricately in literature. Translated with "zest, pace and wit" (Spectator) by Jamie Bulloch, Robert Menasse's The Capital plays out the effects of a fiercely nationalistic “union.” Recalling the Balzacian conceit of assembling a vast parade of characters whose lives conspire to form a driving central plot, Menasse adapts this technique with modern sensibility to reveal the hastily assembled capital in all of its eccentricities. We meet, among others, Fenia Xenopoulou, a Greek Cypriot recently “promoted” to the Directorate-General for Culture. When tasked with revamping the boring image of the European Commission with the Big Jubilee Project, she endorses her Austrian assistant Martin Sussman’s idea to proclaim Auschwitz as its birthplace—of course, to the horror of the other nation states. Meanwhile, Inspector Émile Brunfaut attempts to solve a gritty murder being suppressed at the highest level; Matek, a Polish hitman who regrets having never become a priest, scrambles after taking out the wrong man; and outraged pig farmers protest trade restrictions as a brave escapee squeals through the streets. These narratives and more are masterfully woven, revealing the absurdities—and real dangers—of a fracturing Europe. A tour de force from one of Austria’s most esteemed novelists, The Capital is a mordantly funny and piercingly urgent saga of the European Union, and an aerial feat of sublime world literature.

Bursting the Brussels Bubble

Bursting the Brussels Bubble PDF Author: Helen Burley
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789090253275
Category : Business enterprises
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
Summary: Written by some of the leading experts on lobbying transparency in Europe, this collection provides an eye-opening insight into decision making within the European Union - and offers a valuable guide to fighting for greater transparency and accountability. "Bursting the Brussels bubble" is a valuable tool for anyone concerned with decision-making and democratic accountability within the European Union. It reveals how lobbyists from the world of big business have successfully embedded themselves inside the European Union's decision-making process, creating a political culture where, behind closed doors, the influence of business has become the norm.

On Bullshit

On Bullshit PDF Author: Harry G. Frankfurt
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400826535
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
#1 New York Times bestseller Featured on The Daily Show and 60 Minutes The acclaimed book that illuminates our world and its politics by revealing why bullshit is more dangerous than lying One of the most prominent features of our world is that there is so much bullshit. Yet we have no clear understanding of what bullshit is, how it’s distinct from lying, what functions it serves, and what it means. In his acclaimed bestseller On Bullshit, Harry Frankfurt, who was one of the world’s most influential moral philosophers, explores this important subject, which has become a central problem of politics and our world. With his characteristic combination of philosophical acuity, psychological insight, and wry humor, Frankfurt argues that bullshitters misrepresent themselves to their audience not as liars do, that is, by deliberately making false claims about what is true. Rather, bullshitters seek to convey a certain impression of themselves without being concerned about whether anything at all is true. They quietly change the rules governing their end of the conversation so that claims about truth and falsity are irrelevant. Although bullshit can take many innocent forms, excessive indulgence in it can eventually undermine the bullshitter’s capacity to tell the truth in a way that lying does not. Liars at least acknowledge that the truth matters. Because of this, bullshit is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are. Remarkably prescient and insightful, On Bullshit is a small book that explains a great deal about our time.

European Lobbying

European Lobbying PDF Author: Christian Lahusen
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000861333
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Lobbying is an integral part of the political reality of the European Union and a highly competitive and dynamic field of interest groups. This book takes a systematic look at lobbyists in order to broaden our understanding of the staff entrusted with the responsibility of influencing European politics. Who are the European lobbyists? What are their professional backgrounds, career patterns, practices, and beliefs? The study uses a sociological framework to explore the professionalisation and professionalism of the field across national proveniences, policy fields and interest groups, and develops a systematic analysis that considers three different dimensions: occupational patterns, shared knowledge and common convictions. Based on original research that combines in- depth interviews with survey data, European Lobbying demonstrates that European lobbying is a firmly established and highly professionalised métier. In an organisational field characterised by growth, pluralisation and increasing competition, the professional staff contributes to the homogenisation of European lobbying and the marginalisation of other, non- professionalised forms of interest representation. It will therefore appeal to scholars and students of sociology and politics with interest in European studies, European Union politics and the sociology of the professions. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license

Climate Obstruction across Europe

Climate Obstruction across Europe PDF Author: Robert J. Brulle
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197762069
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 401

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Book Description
This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International licence. It is free to read on the Oxford Academic platform and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. Understanding climate obstruction is foundational to advancing effective action on the global climate crisis. Starting in the late 1980s, a broad range of actors--including corporations and trade associations acting in coordination with conservative think tanks, foundations, and public relations firms--mounted a long-term effort to oppose action to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. This is the first book to document the development and nature of these activities across Europe. Leading teams of experts examine case studies of eleven nations and the European Union. Each team documents the historic development of climate obstruction in the country, the principal organizations involved in these efforts, the strategies and tactics utilized, and the nature of the arguments made to slow or stop climate action. Noting significant differences between countries, the book concludes with ten lessons on climate obstruction across Europe that emerged from the studies. Future research is suggested to aid in better understanding the development of intentional barriers to action on climate change in Europe.

Mapping the Influencers in EU Policies

Mapping the Influencers in EU Policies PDF Author: Dan Luca
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 303002041X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
This book offers a novel approach to mapping the people and organisations working in EU affairs, allocating much of the volume to a discussion of non-EU institutional representation in Brussels. Complementary to this, a distinct section focuses on those entities situated in EU capitals connected with EU policy dynamics. The intention of the book is to describe each sector within Brussels’ eco-system, including statistics and numbers, but also to have practical examples of organisations that are represented in EU affairs. The second part of the book is dedicated to interviews with relevant influencers from within the Brussels scene. This publication is a working tool for experts in EU affairs, academics and students. It could also be an interesting read for those seeking a job in EU affairs, as well as entrepreneurs, who want to set up a sustainable business.