Shepna or kreshtia? Making your voice heard in EU!

Shepna or kreshtia?Making your voice heard in EU! Richard Linning MIPRA FCIPR EUPRERA The Stable House Partnership The Stable House Coldred Road Eythorne Kent UK CT15 4BE richardlinning@aol.com

A Quiz …. • What do these have in common … • Johan Atanasoff • Nicolai Ghiaurov, Boris Christoff, Raina Kabaivanska, Ghena, Dimitrova • Simeon I • Christo Javacheff, Pascin, Vladimir Dimitrov • And • The cyrillic alphabet?

The answer … България ….. but youknew that.

Bulgaria’s New Voice in Europe • Presidency • one MS of twenty-seven • Votes in Council • 10 in 345 (255 qualified majority, 91 blocking minority) • Commission • One Commissioner of twenty-seven • European Parliament • 18 added to 732 (and 35 from Romania)

Democracy –a competition between ambition and resources • Concept I – deliberative • public debate in which citizens or their elected reps participate on equal terms in the public interest • Concept II – pragmatic • a competition among a ruling class of self-interested politicians, politics is war without bloodshed • Law, Pragmatism and Democracy Richard Posner Harvard 2003

Council • a single Council • simple majority (for procedural decisions), • qualified majority (for the internal market, economic affairs and trade) • unanimity (for foreign policy, defence, judicial and police cooperation, and taxation). • meets in nine "configurations“ of MS Ministers and responsible Commissioners • Permanent Representatives Committees (Coreper I & II), resolve technical-political questions • 250 working parties and committees of MS delegates resolve technical issues

Eligibility for “civil dialogue” • Exist permanently at a Community level; provide direct access to members’ expertise and hence rapid and constructive consultation; general concerns that tally with the interest of European society; comprise bodies that are recognised at MS level as representative of particular interest; have members in most MS; provide for accountability to its members; have authority to represent and act at European level; be independent and mandatory; not bound by instructions from outside bodies; be transparent, especially financially and in its decision-making structures. • ECOSOC Opinion on European Governance – a White Paper

CAOBISCO – Association of EU Chocolate, Biscuit & Confectionery Industries • 2000 companies • 236,000 direct employees • more than 43 billion Euros annual turnover • a production of 11 million tonnes of different products • 10% of the total value of food exports from the European Union • Exports total 3.3 billion Euros: imports 1 billion Euros • 30% of the European production of sugar • 35% skimmed milk powder at full EU price • 50% of the world production of cocoa beans • as well as a large share of the glucose, butter, wheat, eggs and dried fruit produced in the European Union.

Shepna works too • A victory for the little guy! • EU ban on mercury • thermometers • manometers • sphygmomanometers • Except .. three UK companies • new and repaired barometers • 60kg of 25 tonnes total • “disgrace handful of small producers able to hold public health to ransom”

Shepna, kreshtia and puskam sluhove

Campaigning • Intelligence • For knowledge itself is power (Francis Bacon) • Intelligence • Identification of the issue • The road map of the legislative process • Analysis of the stakeholders perceptions • Client Position and bottom line

European Parliament Road Map • EU Treaties confer legislative, budget, legislative initiative and supervision of the executive powers • Codecision • Consulation • Budget procedures • Assent procedure • Enhanced cooperation • Appointment • Five other procedures http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/expert/staticDisplay.do?id=55&pageRank=1&language=EN

Campaigning • Communication • Unless one is a genius, it is best to aim at being intelligible (Anthony Hope) • Communication • Message Development • Strategic Communication Plan • Message Delivery and Timing • Evaluation

a national anti-fraud strategy • a strong centralized AFCOS (OLAF partner) • in charge of the overall operational and communication co-ordination • a network of communicators • all authorities, agencies and institutions dealing with EU funds • a methodology for regular reporting of all anti-fraud activity undertaken • initiatives such as a Civil Society Forum, partnerships with NGOs and regular briefings of the EU delegation and resident diplomatic community and investment and business media and community

Campaigning • Pressure • The use of force alone is but temporary .. it does not remove the necessity of subduing again (Edmund Burke) • Pressure • Systematic presentation of information and argument • Analysis of consequences and alternatives • Building coalitions and mobilising their support • Use the media to enlist public support • Apportioning blame and giving credit

EU and snus • 1992 • EU prohibited the sale of tobacco for oral use which included the Swedish snus • 1994 • Swedish membership negotiations • storm of public opinion helped the Swedish negotiators to push through an exemption permitting the continued use of snus in Sweden but refrain from exporting snus to other EU member countries • 2006 • snus continues to be a high-profile and controversial issue

Media – friend or foe? • Journalists • are event driven, not issue driven • need to engage and entertain, not just inform • need “trusted sources” • have a hidden (sometimes not so hidden) agenda • suffer from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). • So the five ‘bees’ • Be Responsive • Be Authoritative • Be Open and Helpful • Be Responsible • Be Organised

Conclusions • Get in early • Use all the institutions – including your own government • Understand the procedures/rules • Respect the agenda/timing • Be constructive • Make your arguments – concise, consistent, comprehensive • Be prepared to compromise • You MUST network to succeed.

B l a g o da r I a

Shepna or kreshtia? Making your voice heard in EU!