HELPING CROATIA TO LOBBY EFFECTIVELY AFTER ACCESSION

The European Commission's Directorate General (DG) for enlargement will spend € 20 million euros over 4 years to help smooth over criticism of Croatia's 1st July 2013 Accession and to support the EU's broader enlargement goals. The main challenge is to demonstrate that the accession of new members will be a source of enrichment for the EU.” Selected firms will be required to offer a range of services, including strategic advice; message development; video and online content development; event management; media relations; and, social media marketing. Target audiences include “the general public”, along with opinion leaders such as media, the youth, regional authorities and the business community.

That may be good news from a European Commission perspective and a bonanza for the selected firms but funding should also have been earmarked for helping Croatia participate effectively in the lobbying game post accession.

Fulfilling EU demands after joining is at least as challenging as getting into the club. Croatia as a young and small EU member state will have limited powers to enforce its interests and to tangibly influence EU decisions.

It will need to use the EU leverage for achieving results in the fields regarded to be of key importance. Croatia will need to find rational partners in order to be part of a coalition that has a chance to represent the coalition partners' common interests. Big partners are definitely a must for successful coalitions.

When it comes to purely political matters, the Croatian government – like all other EU member states – will need to rely on its own civil servants to present and defend the national interests.   

• Gathering intelligence about future EU policy developments and the progress of existing proposals and assisting Croatian ministers and officials to influence the policy formulation;
• Close cooperation with a wide range of individuals, organizations and bodies representing Croatian interests (Croatian companies and NGOs, Croatian MEPs, Croatian members of the Committee of the Regions and the Economic Social Committee);
• Practical support for Croatian ministers and officials visiting Brussels;
• Developing and strengthening regional networks through involvement with the Committee of the Regions and through contacts with other regions represented in Brussels;
• Promoting Croatia in Brussels and contribute to current policy debates through conferences, events, cultural activities and receptions.

As a rather small country Croatia will not be the agenda setter and will have to join larger coalitions in order to be part of the winning side.

Within the Council (dominated by national interests). Winning coalitions emerge after a consensus has been reached. Croatia will have to make greater compromises or it will be easily outvoted.

The European Parliament then becomes the last sheet anchor, since MEPs do not normally fight tooth and nail for their national interest. Compared to the Council, where each delegation receives strict orders from their respective capitals, discussions and negotiations in the European Parliament are more relaxed and the outcome is far less predictable.

Croatia does not have  (yet) the same connections as the older EU countries and is (still) relatively new to the lobbying game. If indeed the European Commission is serious about  showing that Croatia's accession will be an enrichment for the EU, it would certainly inure to the EU's benefit to provide Croatia effective assistance in terms of lobbying capacity post accession.