Ellen Bruno Lobby the EU

What is the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation Democratic movement members, 100 years old 3 working methods love to nature consumer power political lobbying 5 focus areas –Climate, Sea, Forest, Agriculture, Chemicals Global work + own environmental labelling

Today 1.Why do you need to lobby 2.Where/When in an EU-process can you lobby 3.Who can you lobby 4.How can you lobby

Why should you lobby To save the world You represent nature You are the voice of your members Administrators and decision makers need to know and want to know what You think is the best for nature You can speak with your national representativs better than an umbrella organisation

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Where you can lobby

Good times to lobby EC – Early in process, if possible before consultation paper –Demands insight and informal contacts During drafting of proposal –Demands informal contacts Through MEPs – first and second reading. In Committees and Plenary. –Documents easily accessible –Possibility to draft own text

EC working program

Good times to lobby EC – Early in process, if possible before consultation paper –Demands insight and informal contacts During drafting of proposal –Demands informal contacts Through MEPs – first and second reading. In Committees and Plenary. –Documents easily accessible –Possibility to draft own text

Commission Directory

Good times to lobby EC – Early in process, if possible before consultation paper –Demands insight and informal contacts During drafting of proposal –Demands informal contacts Through MEPs – first and second reading. In Committees and Plenary. –Documents easily accessible –Possibility to draft own text

EP – legislative observatory

Good times to lobby Discussions in fisheries coreper (Committee of Permanent Representatives) –Documents not easily accessible, demands good contacts with national administration Adoption in Council –Documents accessible –Possibly interresting for media

Who can you lobby 14 European Commission – respective directorate Policy officer Head of Unit/Directorate Commissioner + cabinet The Council Permantent representation policy officer National policy officer Chair country European Parliament MEP committee representatives MEP plenary representative Rapporteur Shadow rapporteur Assisstents! Regional Advisory Councils (RAC)

How can you lobby European Commission: Call, write and meet with key persons at DG Find allies at other DGs Write questions through MEP –Seek information and let them know your opinion European Parliament: Call, write and meet with key persons and assistents –Give information, not only opinion –Provide with amendments

To lobby the council and the coreper is to lobby at home –Press, media, letters – let them show their cards at home –Create pressure through national parliament How can you lobby

Don´t forget the Århus convention Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental matters Access to information: any citizen should have the right to get a wide and easy access to environmental information. Public authorities must provide all the information required and collect and disseminate them and in a timely and transparent manner. They can refuse to do it only under particular situations (such as national defence) Public participation in decision making: the public must be informed over all the relevant projects and it has to have the chance to participate during the decision-making and legislative process. Decision makers can take advantage from people's knowledge and expertise; this contribution is a strong opportunity to improve the quality of the environmental decisions, outcomes and to guarantee procedural legitimacy Access to justice: the public has the right to judicial or administrative recourse procedures in case a Party violates or fails to adhere to environmental law and the convention's principles.environmental law

Lobby from the inside – how to get a work at the EC 18

Good luck!