THE MEP ASSISTANT AS THE FIRST LOBBYIST’S CONTACT

Each MEP is also allocated a budget for the employment of staff to assist in the work of the office. The salary levels and terms of employment of staff are set out in regulations laid down by the European Parliament. While some MEPs prefer to hire two well-paid real policy assistants, others prefer to have more secretarial/office management types, whilst others use a combination of both. They can be based in Brussels, in the MEP’s constituency or in the MEP’s national capital. MEPs can have at most 3 Accredited Assistants and 2 Local Assistants. An Accredited Assistant contract is based on EU law, while a Local Assistant Contract is based on national law.

Accredited MEP Assistants are formally employed by the European Parliament, and therefore do not fit the ‘working with’ category. They do represent a special group inasmuch as the decision about selection rests entirely with the MEP. This way, while the Staff Regulations have been amended to cover the Assistants’ status, they do not need to pass a recruitment competition to be eligible for appointment, on the other hand their contracts are always only for a temporary period. Working for a single person requires a very good ‘chemistry’ between the Assistant and the MEP, not to mention the need for perseverance and stamina to be always available in case something comes up (and it always does). Assistants are in no way limited to working only for their fellow compatriots- so as long as they possess the required linguistic skills and subject matter expertise (and in some cases political affiliation), they have the opportunity to be offered a position by an MEP of any nationality. Given the European Parliament’s profile and the fact that it is politically active MEPs who are seeking Assistants, the way to approach this job is often via political parties, some MEPs require political affiliation or party membership while others seek expertise in a certain policy, they are responsible for.

Assistants are usually young (often freshly graduated from University) and most of them stay only for a short period. Only a small number of the Assistants stay in the Parliament for several years, either for the same MEP or switching from one MEP to another.

Assistants do not always follow their MEP everywhere he or she goes. Even if some of them are adepts of the plenaries in Strasbourg, there is often a split between those Assistants to an MEP that follow him or her and those that stay at the office in Brussels or in the home country.

This means that plenary weeks in Strasbourg can be a good time to find Assistants more relaxed than in Brussels and willing to have a chat or coffee.

Typical Work Activities

The main duties carried out by Accredited Assistants are to provide administrative and secretarial support, to draft documents and to provide advice. Accredited Assistants recruited in function group I will mainly carry out administrative and secretarial support duties, but may also be called upon to carry out drafting and advisory duties. Accredited Assistants recruited in function group II will mainly carry out drafting and advisory duties, but may also be called upon to carry out administrative and secretarial support duties.

Activities vary greatly and can range from:

• Preparing the policy and political dossiers for an MEP, notably by conducting background research;
• Handling logistics ranging from typing work to booking tickets, running errands, ensuring visitors’ have their badges, arranging meetings with Commission officials or lobbyists;
• Handling relationships with the MEPs constituents, other politicians, the media, lobbyists and interest groups, relevant voluntary sector organisations;
• Taking minutes at meetings;
• Undertaking all administrative duties, filing, ordering stationery, responding to correspondence and updating databases;
• Carrying out research into local, regional, national and international issues as required, and ensuring the MEP is made aware of any relevant matters;
• Handling correspondence: reading the hundreds of emails most MEPs receive per day and drafting responses or letters;
• Helping draft articles, press releases, newsletters, amendments, parliamentary questions and preparing briefing material;
• Updating the MEP’s website;
• Helping write speeches by researching information and making suggestions on content;
• Monitoring and arranging media coverage;
• Meeting lobbyists or other interested parties instead of the MEP or as an initial screening;
• Attending public and private functions to assist the MEP and sometimes standing in when the MEP is unable to attend;
• Liaising with members of government and local government, party headquarters, other politicians and their staff, embassies, commissioners;
• Providing MEP with the support needed to get an issue on the political agenda e.g. research or liaising with key individuals or groups;
• Possibly managing other paid staff within the constituency or parliamentary office, including interns, volunteers and work placements.

MEP Assistants are thus key elements in the process and should never be disregarded, whatever the role they play.

MEP Assistants know that their bosses have hectic schedules and do not like to see their time wasted.

They will care about you if:

• The arguments you bring to them and their boss are well structured, easy-to-use, in the right formats and allow them to shine and/or make their boss look good.
• You do not come to them only to ask: third parties outside the EP often have access to documents from other institutions faster that people in the institutions themselves! Sharing that info, pointing them in the right direction, being willing to respond to questions that might not be related to a dossier you are involved in…all of this makes them care!
• You consider them as equally important to their boss!