EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND LOBBYING ACTIVITY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

Abstract. The Article covers basic functioning of the European Commission and the basis for
the implementation of its decisions with respect to lobbying activity. It provides practical advices
on lobbying, based on practical specifics of the functioning of the European Commission. It
takes into account the fragmentation of the European Commission and the interaction with other
EU institutions.
Interaction of the European Commission with lobbying groups is subject to regulation at the
supranational level. In general, the European Union strives to attract society to participate in
decision-making processes and the implementation of its decisions at the national level.
The functionalism and sectorial structure is inherent to European Commission. The decision
making process consists of a number of phases, including the initiation phase, which consists of
the preparation of primary documentation, coordination between the structural units of the European
Commission, and approval. This phase is the most attractive subjects for lobbying influence
because at this stage is easy to act. Lobbying activity at the highest management level
is deemed to be the challenging task. The highest quality of lobbying the European Commission
could be achieved by applying preventive lobbying, which should be sufficient and well argued.
Key words: lobbying, European Union, European Commission, lobbying actors, fragmentation,
cooperation, General Directorates, Committees.