Brussels has emerged into a political pole
attracting the largest multicultural community. Explorers... that’s what we are
in the “blue flag city”. Each day, we explore the unknown reaches in search for
a better life for the EU’s roughly half-a-billion citizens.
It should be emphasized that Europe is not
only about big-ticket items such as the Euro or Schengen area, the EU is also
locus for myriad complicated technical issues and small topics. Elected and
unelected national and European public servants continuously strive to better
the quality of life of us and our families through legislation and policies on
the European level.
These so-called EU standards and policies did not appear out of nowhere. They are the result of tough negotiation processes at several levels – from technical experts to adoption at the political level.
Moreover, it is imperative that the formulation of this legislation and policy is done in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, both national and European. We have to take their knowledge, skills, legitimate sectoral interests and any technical alternatives into account, and this will contribute to a balanced political decision making process.
Most legal entities present in Brussels
exist mainly for this purpose: to advocate or communicate their views or the
views of their members as stakeholders in EU affairs – and they need employees
to accomplish this.
While interacting in the last years with
different experts from all over Brussels, I have asked some of them to explain
their view on the European affairs market. In total 36 stakeholders expressed
their opinion in regards to the changes that have happened in the last decade,
as well as what influences European affairs in their view, and how they see the
trends of the European market towards horizon 2030. The stakeholders were also
able to list the most influential organizations from the capital of Europe.
The present research is now presented in
the form of a new
book, published by the prestigious Palgrave Macmillan publishing
house.
The
content is structured as follows:
CHAPTER I / Non-EU
institutional actors working within and outside Brussels
1. Brussels – pole of power
2. Working in Brussels
3. International representation in the
Brussels bubble
4. Life outside Brussels: Local Actors in EU
Affairs
CHAPTER
II / EU Federations
1. Working together: EU federations
2. Case study: Interest groups in
agriculture policy. EU and Romania
3. Case study: Interest groups in energy
policy. EU and USA
4. Branding EU Federations
5. The link between EU federations and
corporate
6. List of European associations and their
EU policy interests
Chapter
III / EU Stakeholders Views
1. Major shifts over the last 10 years
2. Most influential non-EU institutional
organisations in EU Affairs
3. EU affairs market in 2030
4. Business, careers, networking in EU
Affairs
5. Sources for mapping EU Actors
Conclusion
Annex
– Interviews with EU Stakeholders
1. Influential structures in EU Affairs
2. Career in EU Affairs
I cannot end this message without thanking
those people without whom this book could not have been written. Essential
academic guidance was provided by Ramona Coman, Alina Bârgãoanu, Irina
Tãnãsescu and Lut Lams. For their support in the case studies, I would like to
thank Jana Zaric, Ştefana Veria and Ianula Gioga.
I am also grateful for the support of
several EU experts, who have given me a few hours of their precious time and
have responded with passion to the questionnaire which proved invaluable for my
research. Many thanks to Jonna Byskata, Fazilet Cinaralp, Elaine Cruikshanks,
Susan Danger, Jan Dröge, Diana Filip, Mella Frewen, Georgi Gotev, Adrian
Harris, Tomi Huhtanen, Karl Isaksson, Paul Ivan, Suela Janina, Oleg Kamberski, Michaela
Kauer, Kazuo Kodama, Dennis Kredler, Holger Kunze, Natalia Kurop, Karel Lannoo,
Virginia Lee, Lydia Makaroff, Fabio Marchetti, Karen Massin, Paul-Emile
Mottard, Niki Naska, Luminiţa Odobescu, Raul Rãdoi, Sandra Penning, João Pinto,
Aurica Pripa, Conny Reuter, Aart van Iterson, Glenn Vaughan, Rachel Ward,
Philip Weiss, Alfons Westgeest and Lesley Wilson.
Last but not least, I would like to thank
my wife, Jiska, to whom I dedicate this book.
Dan LUCA / Brussels
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