Elisa Braun’s Post

In the world of public affairs, there are a vast number of groups competing for the government's attention. One significant group is trade associations. Representing businesses by sector or issue, these groups have a powerful role to play in policy development and nobody is better to talk on this topic than our new colleague, Alexander Reeves, who joins directly from one of these trade associations. Read his insights here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eYhhwE5e

✍ Let me share a fun anecdote about my first introduction to the EU lobbying scene. It was the summer party of Rud Pedersen, a major consultancy whose lush terrace attracts bubble clientele who can be otherwise hard to meet. While my colleague Eddy Wax and I were taking a break from all the schmoozing, a guest from the European Commission exited the crowd and approached us. He wanted to share his criticism of POLITICO’s coverage on a story involving a friend of his: Henrik Hololei. At the peak of the Qatargate scandal, POLITICO Europe revealed that Hololei, a high-level public servant, received free plane tickets from Qatar Airways which he did not declare, at a time of crucial negotiations between the Commission and the company. The Commission official from this summer party thought it outrageous of us to publicly question the choices of such a senior, competent colleague of his, just based on how it looked from the outside. The problem is that conflict of interest is a particular concept. It’s not only about whether it’s effective, in the sense that getting tickets worth thousands of euros makes you change your mind. It’s also about how it appears to the public eye, the impression that it could affect your decision. This Commission official did not seem to understand that nuance and didn’t seem to see a problem with those behaviors. But on Wednesday, our colleague from Libération revealed that it was not only Qatar Airways — but many other companies. Not only tickets — but also various gifts. Not only exchanges of ideas — but also of documents. Looks can be deceiving, of course. But it’s always worth looking anyway. 🕵♀️ 📩 More on all things lobbying, corruption and transparency in EU influence, including: — How consultancies are preparing for this week’s commissioners hearings — Welcome packages for EU lawmakers (and: how to avoid implying that an MEP has a bad breath) — Some tips from Susan Danger on how shush those who interrupt you, and other vital life skills https://lnkd.in/eUWNU4cj

This post is a criticism of the European Union communication strategy. 🇪🇺‼️ The European institutions are a giant, but I think they are struggling to communicate they work. No matter how many communication employees they have if they don't connect with the citizens. Since I arrived in Brussels a few months ago, the news I hear about the EU has grown exponentially. Obviously, the environment, surrounded by thousands of workers in the "EU bubble" is more adequate. Wherever you go you are going to meet someone who works in the EC or the EU Bubble. However, I have been working on European projects for more than 6 years, and before, I studied politics, and even so, I was not aware of so much news. It seems that the communication of the EC and the parliament stays inside the borders of Schaerbeek, Etterbeek and Ixeles. I even have some Belgian friends who do not know the impact that the EU bubble has in the country, even though we are 5% of the country's population. In my home country of Spain, there is not much news about the EU, only now that our president has some international projection there is some news. The only important thing I remember from the past 10 or 12 years are a few news about the financial bailout of Spain and Covid. It seems that the only EU policies and news that have actually crossed the borders are the euro, Erasmus and tourism. But I miss news about the Green Deal, trade agreements with third countries, reports on the impact and investments and European funds in regions and municipalities, legislation on food safety, involvement in new urban designs, etc. How many people know that more than 51% of the laws that affect us come directly from the European institutions? This means that national, regional and local laws together represent less than the half of the laws that affect us. And many times those laws are simply a transpositions of European directives... Since a few years, there are great anti-European movement growing. Some of the biggest examples are Brexit or the Farmers demonstrations. It is necessary for the EU to explain and the media to echo the different policies and strategies adopted by the Union. There are controversial trade agreements with countries like Morocco or South Africa. Yes, they sell us cheaper and lower quality oranges. But how many people know that this trade agreement includes the possibility that Europe can fish in their fishing grounds because ours are dry? Or that it also includes an agreement for low taxation on sales of European technology to compete with Chinese prices? And you have to think that a kg of oranges costs less than 1€, but a German tractor or heavy machinery may have a value of millions of euros... And this is not explained in the evening news or in the main newspapers of each country. In summary, the EU has to rethink and improve its communication strategy. And seeing the results of the European elections, it has a lot to do.

This week I went for the last time to Strasbourg, where the European Parliament has its "official seat". Once a month, the entire European Parliament packs up and moves for a week from Brussels to Strasbourg. We don't do it because it's fun, but because France forcibly negotiated many years ago that the "official" seat of the European Parliament should be in Strasbourg and that we have to go there 12 times a year. In total, there were 16 visits to Strasbourg this term for me. Or rather, Stressbourg. A typical day in there starts with an early riser, analyzing five or six pieces of legislation of hundreds of pages in just an hour or two before giving our parliamentarians indications on how to vote. Then there are internal meetings, external meetings, negotiations, a coffee squeezed in followed by more internal meetings and finally, forward at 20-21, we get to go and have dinner. Then we fall into bed around 11pm or midnight - only to do it all over again the next day. Then we repeat the process again until Thursday, where we go back to Brussels. But of course, the next month, we go back to Strasbourg and do it all again! It may sound idiotic, and it is! Calculations show that we could save up to 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide if we stopped going there. So why don't we stop? Well, because unanimity is required in the Council to change that we stop going. And all French governments see the seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg as a kind of "soft power", that you associate the EU with France. But it also creates many jobs, in the tourism sector among other things. We have to stay in a hotel when we're here and we can't go home and cook our own food, so we have to eat at restaurants every day. The tourism industry thrives on the moving circus. It was especially noticeable how hard they were hit during covid, when we didn't go at all - because the border between Belgium and France was closed. Centerpartiet wants to abolish the moving circus. It had saved many billions of tax SEK, which could have gone to other uses. But this probably won't change for a long time, so until then we will continue. Luckily, Strasbourg is a very beautiful city!

Access Info Europe has done it again, this time by launching a much needed award to celebrate and encourage the champions of openness, human rights and integrity. So, if you know someone awesome, make sure to nominate them until 9 September! Two years ago the inspirational Helen Darbishire and her colleagues invited me to join the International Advisory Board of AIE, an organization I had admired for many years. With Helen stepping down from her role as the Director of the organization earlier this year, we hope this Award by Access Info Europe and Open Government Partnership will both honor her work and inspire others to contribute to the cause so important to all of us. Who can apply? - Nominations must show how the right to information was used to have a tangible impact on advancing human rights, environmental protection, democracy, and/or anti-corruption efforts. - Impact can be demonstrated through various mechanisms, such as research, political advocacy, litigation, or campaigns. - The nominee’s work must have been conducted in the past three years. - This award is open to individuals working in Europe, including civil society advocates, campaigners, journalists, academics and practitioners.    Benefits of the award - Invitation to speak at OGP Summit: OGP will invite the winner to speak, with travel covered, at the 2025 OGP Summit in Spain, offering a platform to share their story and insights with an international audience. - Global Promotion and Recognition: Access Info and the Open Government Partnership will promote the winner’s impactful work globally.   How to nominate? - The nomination process is open to third-party nominations by filling out an application form @ https://shorturl.at/5y4cj. - Deadline to nominate is 9th September. - The winner will be announced ahead of 28th September, International Right to Know Day.  Good luck!

In today's EU Influence: 💼 How consultancies are preparing for the commissioner hearings. 🎁 Awkward welcome packages for EU lawmakers. 🤫 Some tips from Susan Danger on how shush those who interrupt you, and other vital life skills. Jump in 👇

❗ POLICY AGENDA PUBLISHED ❗ As the UK General Election approaches its final stages, The Business of Events has published its Policy Agenda, featuring seven critical recommendations aimed at enhancing the UK's economy and promoting advancements in knowledge exchange through events. The Policy Agenda will form the scope of work for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events once it is reformed post-election. Download the Policy Agenda here: https://lnkd.in/e6SGd8pi Following an extensive UK-wide policy consultation conducted in 2023, TBOE have highlighted seven specific policy initiatives that hold the potential to unlock significant growth within the UK events economy, paving the way for a more robust and prosperous sector. The events industry is a crucial driver of economic growth, innovation, and international collaboration. To harness its full potential, TBOE advocate for targeted government policies that bolster and advance the sector. Key policy initiatives: ✏ 1. Updating SIC Codes: Ensuring accurate representation and targeted support for the events industry. 🛂 2. Easier Visa Schemes: Facilitating international collaboration post-Brexit for both inbound and outbound events. 💷 3. Event Tax Credit Scheme: Attracting new events and supporting existing ones through financial incentives. 🌍 4. Attracting International Events: Providing more support to position the UK as a top destination for global events. 📈 5. Practical Support for Competitiveness: Using events as a catalyst for growth across various sectors. 💰 6. Investment in Convention Bureaux: Empowering national and regional bureaus to drive economic development. 🗳 7. Leveraging Events for Policy Objectives: Using business events as platforms to deliver and promote government policies. Thank you to our partners and supporters for contributing to our work to date. We look forward to discussing and advancing the agenda over the course of the year. #conference #tradeshow #convention #meeting #exhibition #event #eventprofs #ukelection #generalelection #policy #eventsindustry

The Business of Events has published its Policy Agenda. This will shape the scope the work for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events once it reformed post-election. There are seven key areas designed to turbo-charge the events industry in growth and through knowledge exchange. #eventprofs #conferences #meetings #exhibitions #tradeshows

The Internal Side of Public Affairs (27) Are you ensuring you get value from your Trade Association(s)? I wanted to start 2025 with a recurring theme – that of getting value from your Trade Association. Nearly all Public Affairs professionals use Trade Associations and many Trade Associations come under fire internally— “are we really getting value from this membership and can we justify the expense?” The problem very often is not (only) with the Trade Association itself but rather in how companies engage with them, communicate about them internally and measure their effectiveness. On the subject of measuring success (a theme I will be coming back to soon in 2025) there is a real challenge for companies to measure the impact that their Trade Association memberships have. If you want to see improvement and justify your investment then you need to start evaluating. To ensure you’re driving real value and avoiding internal skepticism: 1.  Set Clear Objectives: Have a specific game plan. Whether it’s influencing policy, gaining competitive insights, or building strategic relationships—define what success looks like from the start. This way, you can clearly measure outcomes and justify the investment. 2.  Designate an Association Owner: Appoint a go-to person internally who will own the relationship. Their job? Ensure you’re plugged into relevant activities, monitor key developments, and surface opportunities for your organization. Without a dedicated point of contact, vital information can get lost, and opportunities can slip by. 3.  Active Participation is Non-Negotiable: Associations are not passive forums. You need to actively participate—attend meetings, sit on key working groups, and speak up on the issues that impact your organization. 4.  Internal Communication is Key: What’s the point of getting all this value if no one internally knows about it? Make it a priority to regularly communicate wins, insights, and opportunities gained through your membership. 5.  Coordinate and Evaluate: You need to have proactive internal coordination, across everyone in your organization who sits in your Associations. This will make a huge difference. 💡 Remember: If you want your Trade Association to improve you need sustained measurement and evaluation. If you want less heat internally you need to communicate value. Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! 👇 #PublicAffairs #TradeAssociations   Pär Nygårds Gabriela Keseberg Dávalos Per-Erik Wolff (Ph.D.) Dr. Stephen Massey Lauren Ziska Dimitris Vartholomaios Anders Kopp Anna Aleksandra Koj Paul Shotton, PhD Aaron McLoughlin Andras Baneth Jacques Foul Wouter Lox Claudia Breure Pieter Walraven Carmen Muñoz Jodar Irene Matías Campano Jorge Espinosa de Los Monteros Romero Kelly Langley Mickey Langley Tom Banks Hannah Phillips Laila Pinheiro Martina Petkova Tereza Dordia Katarína Gatialová Katarina Molin Rodrigo Tedesco Stefan Borst Michel Ehrlich

Alan Hardacre, PhD Associations play a critical role in aggregating industry voices, finding common ground, and presenting unified positions to policymakers. They are not merely extensions of individual companies but platforms where competing interests within a sector converge to create compromise positions. This process is crucial because a collective position often holds more credibility and weight with institutions like the European Commission, which values associations for providing consolidated feedback rather than having to address fragmented, individual lobbying efforts. However, the compromise itself is rarely a perfect reflection of any single company’s position. Companies must evaluate whether the association’s stance aligns with their goals, whether the compromise strengthens their broader public affairs objectives, and whether it creates obstacles that necessitate additional lobbying efforts. It's not uncommon for companies to pursue their lobbying alongside association advocacy when a compromise falls short of their specific needs. The key takeaway here is that companies must first work internally to align their position with the association’s compromise. Active internal coordination ensures that organizational priorities are represented in association discussions and that the collective voice genuinely benefits the industry while supporting individual interests where possible. To the post’s original points, setting clear objectives, active participation, and strong internal communication are indeed essential. But an additional layer is required: critically assessing the compromise and how it serves your company's strategy. This isn’t just about getting value from the association, but ensuring that your engagement actively shapes that value. The Commission may love associations for their efficiency, but the true power lies in how members leverage the association to amplify their voices collectively and strategically navigate shared challenges.