MACMILLAN Lobbying in the European Parliament: The Battle for Influence (Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics)

This book explains when and how interest groups are influential in the European Parliament, which has become one of the most important lobbying venues in the EU. Yet we know little about the many ways in which interest groups and lobbyists influence parliamentary politics. The author offers insights on four key cases of lobbying, based on the analysis of EU documents, lobbying letters, and 150 interviews. She argues that lobbying success depends on a number of factors, most notably the degree of counter-lobbying, issue salience, and committee receptiveness. These factors are brought together in the framework of “Triple-I” - interests, issues, and institutions – to determine the success or failure of lobbying. This book will be of use to students and scholars interested in EU politics and governance, EU decision-making, and interest group politics, along with policy-makers and practitioners.  Review “This book will be welcomed by both EU public policy scholars and government affairs managers who wish to understand how interest groups shape policy in the European Parliament. Drawing on detailed cases studies, the book illustrates how the nature and salience of policy, institutional opportunities and lobbying coalitions define EU policy outcomes.” (Professor David Coen, University College London, UK) “Maja Kluger Rasmussen’s book sheds new light on one of the oldest questions in our discipline, i.e. the question of interest group influence. In four carefully executed cases studies, she conducts a systematic analysis of why some groups are more successful in realizing their goals than others, relying on an impressive amount of empirical material. The study reveals a deep and comprehensive knowledge of the dynamics of EU decision-making and contributes to a new generation of interest group research. The findings underline how research into the state-of-play in specific policy negotiations is essential for understanding how interest group influence is exerted in practice.” (Professor Anne Rasmussen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark) From the Back Cover This book explains when and how interest groups are influential in the European Parliament, which has become one of the most important lobbying venues in the EU. Yet we know little about the many ways in which interest groups and lobbyists influence parliamentary politics. The author offers insights on four key cases of lobbying, based on the analysis of EU documents, lobbying letters, and 145 interviews. She argues that lobbying success depends on a number of factors, most notably the degree of counter-lobbying, issue salience, and committee receptiveness. These factors are brought together in the framework of “Triple-I” - interests, issues, and institutions – to determine the success or failure of lobbying. This book will be of use to students and scholars interested in EU politics and governance, EU decision-making, and interest group politics, along with policy-makers and practitioners.  About the Author Maja Kluger Rasmussen is Senior Researcher at Think Tank Europa in Copenhagen, Denmark, and visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Analysis Risk and Regulation at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She was awarded her PhD in Government by the London School of Economics and Political Science.