How the EU Institutions Work and… How to work with the EU Institutions, 2nd Edition

Description

A fully revised and updated 2nd edition of this practical guide to how EU decision-making works − and how stakeholders can get their views across at the most useful moments.

Politicians and officials need input from a broad range of stakeholders so that they understand the impacts that their decisions will have and make the right choices. Understanding how the legislative process works, and when and how they can intervene to make their voice heard, is essential for stakeholders – whether they are business organisations, NGOs, Member State governments, local authorities, or businesses and governments from outside the EU.

This book has been created by a team of experienced EU public affairs professionals to explain the interplay of the EU institutions, the different procedures and challenges of the Parliament, Commission and Council, and the steps that need to be taken by stakeholders to engage effectively and at the right time.

Packed with real-world insights, timelines for how legislation is adopted, checklists of key points and actions, flowcharts and explanatory diagrams – this is a highly accessible resource for study, reference and planning. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how Brussels really works.

Who is the book for?

• EU public affairs professionals
• Students and young professionals looking to work in the Brussels bubble
• Academic and training courses on EU institutions and decision-making
• EU officials engaged in legislative procedures
• National and regional government officials involved in EU legislation
• Law firms in the EU arena
• NGOs, federations and businesses working with the EU institutions
• Non-EU governments, businesses and NGOs affected by EU legislation
• Libraries with EU interests

Table of Contents

The book is divided into three sections:

Section 1 – How the EU Institutions Work
1. The European Commission
2. The Council of the EU and the European Council
3. The European Parliament
4. Other EU Institutions and Bodies

Section 2 – How EU Decision-Making Works
5. The Ordinary Legislative Procedure: New Codecision
6. Delegated and Implementing Acts: “New Comitology”

Section 3 – How to Work with the EU Institutions and Decision-Making
7. Ethics and Transparency in the EU
8. Practical Guide to Working with the EU Institutions
9. Practical Guide to Working with EU Decision-Making
10. Conclusion – Designing a Successful EU Lobbying Campaign

Appendix: Suggested Reading and Social Media

Index

Author

Alan Hardacre and Erik Akse are both currently active in EU public affairs, and lead a team of fellow practitioners.

Erik’s eBook ‘The EU Flow: From EU policy to EU law and back’ is available from Amazon.