I digress … thoughts on fish & the environment
Once a year, I give a talk about the windows of opportunity to influence a Commission proposal. Every year, I look back at ashen faces. There are few bites at the cherry, and many lobbyists don’t know about key windows of opportunity. I have a similar talk (plus process charts and case studies) on influencing … Read more
Many lobbyists act like Pavlov’s dogs. The ring of the bell is replaced by the ‘leak’ of a document. Everything stops. All attention is switched to the ‘leak. It seems not to matter that the leak is authorized, usually sent up as a red flag to gauge responses. Many lobbyists have been conditioned to respond. … Read more
If I wanted to pass a law fast, this is what I’ve learned works. Stick the details in the Annex. So few people read, and even fewer read to the Annexes, you’ll be able to hide the substance in plain sight. Make sure the title is suitably non-descriptive. Give it an innocuous title. If a … Read more
Back in 2019, newly elected President von der Leyen led the charge for the European Green Deal. Her first Work Programme promoted the agenda as a headline action. The President appointed a Commissioner with a track record of getting things done, Frans Timmermans, to lead the implementation. But contrary to the revisionists tendencies of some, … Read more