TIPS ON INFLUENCING THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Author: Xavier Prats Monné, former director general of DG SANTE

1. It is very important to understand and speak the language of the Commission, rather than your own. Meaning, to understand how your agenda, your priorities, can actually fit into the agenda and priorities of the European Union and the Commission itself. It may seem obvious. But usually it doesn’t happen that way, because most people, especially in mission-driven organizations, feel very passionately about their own issue. But what is really important is not to say what is important for you, but how you can contribute to the agenda.
2. Time matters. It’s still important to be able to convey what you have to say extremely concisely, because the people who may have a say on things that matter for you are usually busy people. Deadlines are everything for a policy organization, whereas if you are outside the Commission  especially for example if you’re an academic perfection in your work is much more important than deadlines.
3. Most people overestimate what the Commission knows and underestimate what the Commission wants to know. I think the Commission is a very open organization, it’s just that it’s difficult to reach it. It’s a transparent labyrinth.
4. You can be complex but transparent. Therefore this is not only a problem for people who want to reach the Commission, but it’s a problem for the Commission, too. Some organizations maybe are discouraged or don’t think it’s useful or worthwhile to try to influence the EU Institutions they’re just too far away. They are far away, but oftentimes, it’s worth trying.
5. Most people tend to have their own words and concepts that take a huge importance for those that are in your world, but those words are not necessarily comprehensible for the outside. The same happens for the Commission. To make it simple: A clear, explicit link to Commission stated policy and strategic priorities is extremely important.
6. What is important is to have clear, simple rules, because the Commission has to not just be transparent, but to be seen as transparent. Sometimes, some exceptional or maybe even excessive rules may be necessary — not to prevent any wrongdoing, but to be clear and transparent to everybody about the culture of the organization. In the end, in the case of the Commission at least, transparency rules are very strong. What is important is that this is known, and of course, that  it is enforced.