Good Practice

A series of posts on good practice in lobbying and campaigning

One approach for policy writing

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There is a lot of public policy writing in Brussels. A lot of this writing is designed to influence and persuade officials and politicians. You are writing because you want the reader to take action in your favour. As most decisions in Brussels are taken by ‘written procedure’, good writing will help you advance your … Read more

How to behave in a meeting and what to do before a meeting

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We spend a lot of time in meetings.Here I refer to external meetings with the Commission, EP, Member States, and Stakeholders. This piece refers to dealing with the Commission. They get so many meeting requests, the least one can do is not waste their time, and make the meeting useful for all. I don’t refer … Read more

Don’t depend on your national flag

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A lot of Brussels lobbyists act as if their national capital will stop Commission proposals from coming out the door. There is little evidence to support that this is a winning strategy. They see things through the eyes of their national flag. They do so knowing that Brussels (EU) does not work like Berlin, Paris, … Read more

What votes do you need to get what you want

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I take a contrarian approach to lobbying. I don’t think it is about officials or politicians supporting your views. I just think it is about getting the votes to get over the winning line. This may seem a nuanced position. It is not. A lot of people will only accept support if the official or … Read more