| Page 412 | Association of Accredited Public Policy Advocates to the European Union

THE 5 KEY SERVICES PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCATES PROVIDE

Submitted by christian on Thu, 01/16/2014 - 18:53

There are 5 key services that Public Policy Advocates provide. They include Strategic Agenda Development, Advocacy, Coalition Building, Programme and Project Support, and Positioning.

Strategic Agenda Development

Clarifying the context within which a policy or programme request will be considered.
Detecting key EU funding opportunities.
Crafting a detailed plan that leads to success.

Advocacy

L'EUROPE FORTE DE 'FORCE REPUBLICAINE' (FRANCOIS FILLON)

Submitted by christian on Thu, 01/16/2014 - 18:42

Défendre la souveraineté nationale, c’est défendre l’Europe, une Europe forte, capable de défendre ses intérêts. Etre patriote, c’est voir dans l’Union européenne la seule réponse possible à l’émergence des nouvelles puissances et à l’instabilité du monde. Je propose de

- Constituer un noyau dur autour de la France et de l’Allemagne qui doivent faire converger leurs économies et leurs fiscalités.

- Doter la zone euro d’un véritable gouvernement économique dirigé par les chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement.

THE EU MUST DO MORE TO COUNTERACT CORRUPTION !

Submitted by christian on Thu, 01/16/2014 - 18:33

Corruption in the 28 EU member states undermines citizens' fundamental rights, good governance and the rule of law. Corruption occurs in old and new EU Member States alike. Research shows that the trust of EU citizens in Member States and the EU to fight corruption is very low.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Submitted by christian on Thu, 01/16/2014 - 18:13

Claus Larsen-Jensen MEP, replaces Dan Jørgensen at the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.
Zbigniew Zaleski, a Polish politician and former MEP, has returned to the Parliament as part of the European People's Party.
Anne-Laure Gassin has been appointed as policy officer in the European Commission.
Danièle Nouy has been appointed by as chair of the supervisory board of the single supervisory mechanism at the European Central Bank.

ENCADREMENT DU LOBBYING EN FRANCE

Submitted by christian on Thu, 01/16/2014 - 13:56

Les représentants d'intérêts sont un moyen pour le législateur de s'informer sur la manière dont la loi est appliquée et sur les moyens de l'améliorer. Ces informations sont, par nature, orientées puisqu'elles défendent un objectif particulier. Mais il revient au parlementaire de faire l'analyse des données qui lui sont transmises et de les confronter à d'autres pour en vérifier la véracité et la cohérence. L'activité des représentants d'intérêts est également utile pour permettre au décideur public de mieux connaître les attentes de la société civile.

BULGARIAN CHRONIC CORRUPTION IS WORRISOME

Submitted by christian on Thu, 01/16/2014 - 10:50

In 2013, the level of administrative corruption in Bulgaria affecting the population and the business sector remained practically the same. Bulgaria is still among the EU Member States with highest corruption risk. The parliament (National Assembly) and government are yet to come up with any specific initiative to meet the higher public expectations for prompt results in the fight against political corruption. There is no visible improvement in the performance of the judicial system.

GUIDELINES FOR MPs, MINISTERS, STAFF AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN DEALING WITH LOBBYISTS

Submitted by christian on Wed, 01/15/2014 - 19:57

Lobbying is an acceptable and normal part of our society and in many cases is a part of a healthy democratic process. Decision-makers can be provided with valuable information during the lobbying process.

Lobbying covers a wide variety of activities. Generally it involves the making of representations to Members of Parliament, Ministers, ministerial staff and other public officials on particular issues by special interest groups, individuals and professional advocates acting on behalf of others.

CODES OF CONDUCT FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS IN THE EU

Submitted by christian on Wed, 01/15/2014 - 15:30

Of the 28 EU member states, only 8 have codes of conduct in place for parliamentarians. In some countries, rules of procedure cover ethical issues (Denmark and Finland). In Bulgaria and Slovenia, there have been repeated attempts to pass comprehensive codes of conduct, but the parliaments have failed to adopt them. Even where codes of conduct exist, they often include gaps, as is the case with Germany. Codes of conduct should by no means be considered a panacea to combating corruption and wrongdoing by MPs, but their value as an integrity mechanism should not be underestimated.

NEW DISTINGUISHED AALEP MEMBER FROM ROMANIA

Submitted by christian on Wed, 01/15/2014 - 10:20

Mr. Zoltan I. Györke, Managing Director of AFACERI PUBLICE- PUBLIC AFFAIRS (Györke Public Affairs), a Romanian-based consultancy has joined AALEP. Zoltan graduated from the Romanian Academy in Bucharest and holds a Ph.D in History. Prior to establishing his own consulting firm, Zoltan was a personal adviser to the President of the Cluj County Council [ The Cluj County, located in Transylvania is one of the most dynamic economies in Romania and a region with the highest ranking of foreign investments.

THE CANADIAN CONFLICT OF INTEREST ACT (CIA)

Submitted by christian on Mon, 01/13/2014 - 19:34

The Federal Accountability Act, which received Royal Assent on 12 December 2006, included a new Conflict of Interest Act (CIA), which for the first time enshrined in legislation the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders. The CIA also created new obligations for the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner (“the Commissioner”), whose office replaces that of the former Ethics Commissioner. The Commissioner is an Officer of Parliament appointed under section 81 of the Parliament of Canada Act (POCA).