Table of contentsLobbying Negative image “Venue shopping” in the EUValue of informationInternal and external lobbyingBig Data lobbyingRegulation of lobbying in EU countriesPositive image and online globalizationConclusionThe EU lobbying system is not a recent circumstance. The European citizen (an individual or an organization) has become an active role in the decision-making process thanks to the Lisbon Treaty. “Any European citizen, any legal entity, whether an NGO, an SA or an LTD, has the right to present a petition to the attention of the European Parliament, has easy access to documents and the decision-making process of the European institutions and has the right to receive a response to the suggestions and referrals that he makes officially. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayAccording to Coen, “at the EU level, it became clear to the first wave of corporate lobbyists that those who wish to engage in direct lobbying Influencing the European public policy system should mobilize a wider range of skills than simply monitoring the progress of European directives and occasionally presenting positions to the Commission. » Interest groups tend to designate resources “among possible targets of lobbying” – “whether institutions”. Due to the complexity of legislative proposals and political issues, European institutions often seek external experts due to their rather small staff compared to the large number of policy competences of the EU. Negative image of lobbying “It always surprises people when you say you are a lobbyist. They look at you with a kind of embarrassed horror, as if you've just made a shocking confession. » When Burson-Marsteller conducted a survey of 600 participants in 20 European countries on public opinion on the role of lobbyists, they found that 77% of participants believe that "business lobbyists act against the public interest audience ". In addition, 70% believe that lobbyists have critical (and redundant) influence on the decisions of European institutions. Interestingly, they also discovered the three main problems with lobbying: "insufficient transparency, prioritizing the interests of the rich and powerful, and manipulation of data and information." A plethora of American-style opportunity structures that interest groups can tap into. The creation of the EU therefore created a whole new opportunity for what Baumgartner and Jones call "venue shopping" by national and transnational interest group actors in Europe (not all of whom are of course "European") . According to Baumgartner and Jones, political actors are adept at "strategic action by employing a dual strategy": "On the one hand, they try to control the dominant image of political disadvantage by using rhetoric, symbols and political analysis. . On the other hand, they attempt to change the agenda of those participating in the debate by seeking the most favorable venue to examine these issues. » Although venue shopping was developed from a study of nuclear energy policy by Baumgartner and Jones, its relevance to the EU is obvious. “Like the United States, the EU is a system of multiple access points. So, on-site shopping is now normal in the EU, just like in the US.” Since “each venue or opportunity structure” manifests its own biases, this creates “…incentives for advocates to push questions toward the venuemost receptive to their own point of view. Value of information Access to information is considered an important step in “successful lobbying” in the EU. “Information plays an important role in the organization and behavior of an interest group, in its daily activities and even in the extent to which it can influence decisions in its favor. At its core, information defines how interest groups interact with EU decision-makers. The groups are relative experts on the policy issues that most affect their interests and have technical, specialized, and politically important information on these topics. EU policymakers, woefully understaffed and pressed for time, find it useful, even necessary, to rely on this information in order to reduce uncertainty about potential policy outcomes. » Interest groups “provide data to decision makers in exchange for legitimate information.” access to the policy-making process with the aim of making their voice heard at EU level and ultimately leading the EU policy-making process. Internal and external lobbying Interest groups, in their effort to persuade, have two options: they can either contact political elites directly (i.e. internal lobbying), or provoke pressure indirectly by appealing to the public (i.e. external lobbying). Internal lobbying is aimed directly at policy makers and, as such, is not visible to the public. In contrast, “external lobbying takes the form of press releases and conferences, contacts with journalists, public campaigns, advertising on social networks or protest events”. De Bruycker and Beyers also found that outside lobbying performs better (than domestic lobbying) when "advocating a position that achieves broad approval in the public sphere." However, according to Mahoney, there is a negative relationship between outside strategies and lobbying success. However Chalmers found that internal and external lobbying are equally effective in gaining access: "several analysts have concluded that external lobbying is often carried out by powerful and resourceful actors, because the skillful use of media tactics is demanding in resource terms. access to: a wider audience through external lobbying; different access points (due to on-site purchases); and the need for information (crucial to success) simply meant that the dot-com bubble was to become a significant factor in the world of lobbying. Access by interest groups to the right people, in the right places and at the right time can go a long way. Voltaire said: “Those who can convince you to believe in absurdities have the science to convince you to commit atrocities. » This quote could be considered an important “moral aspect of lobbying”. Influencing someone's decisions using data is an infamous tool not only in marketing but also in lobbying. Cambridge Analytics' data-driven approach is known to have a huge impact on political elections, potentially reaching thousands of voters. Focusing on specific locations, tailoring their political messaging, or planning their rallies based on collected voter data are just a few ways they can use Big Data in their favor. Power lies not only in analyzing historical data and satisfying the interests of citizens, but furthermore, in making predictions about how people will behave in the future and then acting accordingly to influence and lead voters into a.