I digress … thoughts on fish & the environment
Lobbying is hard for a simple reason. You think that the people making the decision (one of 200 odd people if it is legislation) share the same or a similar worldview that you have on the issue. You are going to find it hard to comprehend that not everyone else does not agrees with you, … Read more
I’ve been remiss in not tracking every challenge by the EP. This update brings things up to date. There are some common themes. A successful challenge is enhanced with cross-party support. If it gets past the Environment Committee, the Plenary will support it. As in previous Parliaments, objections centre on GMOs. The recent (October 2025) … Read more
A while ago, I reviewed a position paper that bombed. When I ran the paper through all 4 of the tests that follow, it was clear why it failed to persuade. If you want to see if your policy communication is going to land or bomb, you can put it through one of these tests: … Read more
I’m doing some teaching in Maastricht about how to prepare a lobby plan. I believe a written lobby plan is a key product for successful lobbying. I agree with Karl Rove : “You then need to sit down and write out a plan … If you have no plan, you will lose.” I’m then asked … Read more