Central European Countries & African Region Course on Association Development Dublin, Ireland, September 2007 EFFECTIVE LOBBYING CAMPAIGNS Andrea Bukovská Martin, Slovakia

ETHYMOLOGY  the term „lobbying“ appeared in print as early as 1820 (April 1, 1820, New Hampshire Sentinel)  „Book on Lobbying“ will be publish by The Capitol Net in 2008

ETHYMOLOGY - 2 „ The term „lobbying“ more likely originates from the British Parliament, where the term was in use in the 1840s. Members of the British Public can go to the Parliament´s Central Lobby and request to meet with their representative Member of Parliament.“

ETHYMOLOGY - 3 „ The supposed origins of the term „lobbyist“ vary. One story states that the term originated at the Willard Hotel in Washington DC, where it was used by Ulysses Simpson Grant to describe the political wheelers and dealers frequenting the hotel´s lobby in order to access Grant who was often found there, enjoying a cigar and brandy.“

LOBBYING  activity of either individuals or interest groups that try to influence the legislative or regulatory process and its content  special situations completely legal even necessary part of democratic decision  specific type of protecting public interest, which improves guality of laws  direct effect on elected person or government officer

LOBBYING - 2  means of conveying information between those whom the law applies and between those who have possibility to decide over its change  installing such a change which is the best for the client  using force of arguments  not considering conflict of interest and corruption

LOBBYING - 3  result of all personal and professional quality of lobist „lobbying is much more than only persuading legislators“  commercial = financial achievements  non commercial = suitable for public interest = better and humaniterian life

CHARACTERS OF LOBBYING  public activity  controlled activity  transparency

LOBBYIST - MYTH  portly, cigar-smoking men who wine and dine law-makers while slipping money into their pockets and persuading them of the relevance of their interest  (lobbying = corruption)

LOBBYIST - FACT  professional who does not talk about himself but on behalf of interest his/her client  on dealing should openly represent the person or the group which he/she presents

LOBBYIST CONTACT  visible result of the work of lobbyist  communication which has the aim to affect decision of member of public authority  process which precedes decision and try to attain the final work, approval, change or complement of a bid, decree, document

WHY LOBBYING IS NEEDED? Because...  in a complex society people who make the decisions, often have no direct access to information about effect of the concrete suggested legislation on interest of each group  helps to persuade interest of the client in the direction to authorities

BASIC ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE LOBBYING  20% communication with law makers  80% preparation, information for the client, communication with interested people „each person lobs who tries to achieve so that the accepted law or adjustments will be fine to him“

BASIC ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE LOBBYING - 2  gathering information about suggested laws or adjustments  following preparation of effect analysis  monitoring of legislative process  cooperation with partner who defend the similar interest  suggesting lobbying strategy on enforcing specific case

BASIC ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE LOBBYING - 3  preparation of aspects  realization of group of activity which helps in enforcing specific case  communication with qualitative characters - change of law - approval of law - a refusal of law

PROPERTIES OF A PROSPEROUS LOBBYIST  at first meet with opponent so that knows his argument  very good communication abilities  ability to begin contact  ability to begin first contact and maintaining it (30 seconds)  act such a way that people remember him and know that he can afford necessary and reliable information

PROPERTIES OF A PROSPEROUS LOBBYIST - 2  act such a way that can affect his ideas on law makers and representatives of institutions  clever psychologist (can estimate people and according to that communicate with them) „ special problematics can be studied but human characters can not be given“

PROPERTIES OF A PROSPEROUS LOBBYIST - 3  analytic abilities  ability to think strategically and act „today opponent can be your colleague tomorrow“

PROPERTIES OF A PROSPEROUS LOBBYIST - 4  ability of sensing the opposite interests as they are „it is not possible to achieve yours always, but it is possible and often necessary to achieve compromise with opponent“

PROPERTIES OF A PROSPEROUS LOBBYIST - 5  good luck and ability to meet with right people, present right arguments in right time and right way „ability to have luck is expression of total integrity of personality of the lobbyist“

LAW OF LOBBYING  lobbying away from corruption  transparency of lobbying  lobbying is a legitimate affair  allocating of rules of lobbying „lobbying is legitimate work which state does respect and gives rules to it“

LAW OF LOBBYING - 2  compulsory registration of lobbyist  handling of news about lobbystic activity (list of meetings)  information about earnings and expenditures of lobbyist  prohibition of giving gifts or other advantages  lobbying in EU is under regulated

LOBBYING CAMPAIGN  General Declaration of Human Rights (1948)  Saint Vincent Declaration (1989)  Acropolis Affirmation Diabetes Care - Saint Vincent in Progress (1995)  Lisbon Statement (1997)  Istanbul Commitment (1999)

LOBBYING CAMPAIGN - 2  Patients´Rights Charter (2001)  Europaen Charter of Patients´Rights (2002)  Otočec Declaration (2004)  Vienna Declaration on Diabetes (2006)  European Parliament Written Declaration on Diabetes nr 0001/2006 (2006)  Unite for Diabetes - Unite Nations Resolution on Diabetes (2006)

LOBBYING BY COUNTRY USA...  federal Lobbying Disclosure Act required most person who are paid to make direct „lobbying contacts“ with member of Congress and officials of the federal executive branch to be registered and file reports twice a year

LOBBYING BY COUNTRY - 2 EU...  lobbying was born in the late 1970s  there are currently 15,000 lobbyists in Brussel (consultants, lawyers, associations, corporations, NGOs, international organizations, etc.) seeking to influence the EU´s legislative process  some 2,600 special interest groups have a permanent office in Brusel

LOBBYING BY COUNTRY - 3 UK...  lobbying traditionally referred to the attempt to influence an Member of Parliament´s vote by either their fellow parliamentary colleagues, by one of their constituents or by any outside organisation

LOBBYING BY COUNTRY - 4 Europe...  lobbying is regulated in parliament bills only in Georgia (1998), Lithuania (2001), Poland (2005)  all require registration of professional lobbyists

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION Andrea Bukovská Hospital Pharmacy Diabetological Educational Center Martin Faculty Hospital Association of Diabetic Patients of Slovakia