Good Practice

A series of posts on good practice in lobbying and campaigning

How to behave in a meeting and what to do before a meeting

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We spend a lot of time in meetings.Here I refer to external meetings with the Commission, EP, Member States, and Stakeholders. This piece refers to dealing with the Commission. They get so many meeting requests, the least one can do is not waste their time, and make the meeting useful for all. I don’t refer … Read more

Don’t depend on your national flag

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A lot of Brussels lobbyists act as if their national capital will stop Commission proposals from coming out the door. There is little evidence to support that this is a winning strategy. They see things through the eyes of their national flag. They do so knowing that Brussels (EU) does not work like Berlin, Paris, … Read more

What votes do you need to get what you want

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I take a contrarian approach to lobbying. I don’t think it is about officials or politicians supporting your views. I just think it is about getting the votes to get over the winning line. This may seem a nuanced position. It is not. A lot of people will only accept support if the official or … Read more

How Not to Engage With the Commission

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I’ve got a talk coming up next week on how to engage with the European Commission. In advance, I’ve jotted down some tried and tested ways about how not to engage with the Commission. If you have some more, please send them my way. How Not To Engage With the Commission Step in late. New … Read more