EU Lobbying Tips

Laura Vallance Claire Calder

Public Affairs Manager Policy Officer

Dogs Trust Eurogroup for Animals

Brussels

The Basics

How it works

• The European Council

• The European Commission (EC)

• The European Parliament (EP)

• The Council of the European Union

The European Parliament

• 766 MEPs

• 22 committees

• Next elections: May 22 -25 2014

• Seven political groups: EPP, S&D, ALDE, ECR, Greens/EFA, GUE/NGL, EFD, (+NI)

• Meets three weeks a month in Brussels and one week a month in Strasbourg for plenary sessions

How EP Influences

• Own-initiative reports

• Public hearings

• Questions to the European Commission and to the Council

• Intergroups (Animal Welfare)

Intergroup Animal Welfare

Lobbying MEPs

The EP, a key player in the EU decision making process

• The most approachable and democratic EU institution

• MEPs represent the will and concerns of the EU citizens

• Lobbyists are part of the system

Ways to Lobby

• Letters, emails etc

• Face to Face meetings

• Ongoing relationships

• Visits to Shelters

• PR & Social Media

Be Well Informed

• Master the content of your briefings

• Know your arguments

• Look for convincing answers to counter arguments

• Be able to say were further information can be found

• Propose to speak with experts if detailed knowledge is

required

Research the MEP

• Do your research on the MEP you are meeting

• Get general background information ( internet, media)

• Which are her/his committees, which delegations

• Which reports of other parliamentary activities

Useful Meeting Tips

Some small talk helps to create a

positive atmosphere

Give an overview about the issues you

want to present

Have a brief agenda prepared

Hand out the briefing or folder with

briefings to be used as reference when

needed

Use a clear and simple language

Ask questions to gather information

Take some notes and come back to

aspects of interest

Listen carefully to give precise

comments and replies when needed

Don’t interrupt

If the conversation is drifting away

from the initial purpose try politely to

come back to the point

Shortly summarise what has been

discussed

Get concrete commitments by asking

clearly but politely

Assure that you will provide additional

information if needed and requested

Always end on a positive

Do a picture and PR if appropriate

Follow up on the meeting

Obstacles to Effective Lobbying

• MEPs get hundreds of letters/emails

• MEP not interested in animal welfare

• Companion animal welfare is not a

competency of the EU

• Language barriers

Lobbying Success – Dogs Trust

• Alyn Smith MEP

• Appointed as lead negotiator on Animal

Health and Welfare Strategy in July

• No Previous Contact

• Wrote a letter of congratulations & invited

him to visit Glasgow rehoming centre

Lobbying Success

• Written Declaration tabled in EP on Dog Population

Management & Compulsory Identification

• Eurogroup, Dogs Trust and 2011 ICAWC delegates lobbied

MEPs asking them to support declaration

• 401 MEPs signed

• Commission forced to act

• Dogs & Cats included in EU Animal Welfare Strategy

European Elections - Get

Involved • European Election May 2014

• 124 million owned dogs and cats

• Lobby your candidates (even if its just 1)

• Speak to them about issues in your country

• Invite them to visit a shelter

• Ask them to sign Eurogroup pledge

• Ask political parties to put the following in their

manifesto’s

Animal Welfare - Key Points

• EU rules to improve the breeding and sale of

dogs and cats

• Compulsory identification & registration in an

appropriate database, linked to an EU

database

• Licencing of dog and cat breeders and

traders

For more information please

contact:

laura.vallance@dogstrust.org.uk

c.calder@eurogroupforanimals.org

Thank You