EU PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY BY NATIONAL TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

Besides European interest groups, national trade associations groups also lobby actively in Brussels. For national trade associations , there are two alternatives.  They either approach their  national politicians or parties that represent their interests in Brussels or they engage directly in public policy advocacy. They may also form alliances to bundle their interests. By pooling resources, national trade associations may share and coordinate information, contacts and political positions effectively. In addition, they may manage to create broad coalitions. This in turn enable them to advocate more intensively and employ more advocacy  channels than otherwise would have been the case.

Among the most important challenges national trade associations face are the lack of human and financial resources, the need for more advanced knowledge about the structures and methods of decision-making processes at the EU level, weakly-developed advocacy skills, inadequate level of foreign language proficiency, the highly technical and bureaucratic character of the EU adjustments, and also the lack of time for consultation with members due to the routine practice of adopting  EU legislation through urgent government and parliamentary procedure.

Having a strong advocacy presence in Brussels and building direct relationships with policymakers is the most important characteristic in determining association effectiveness.

There is a substantial amount of public policy advocacy on EU legislation by national trade associations associations. Public policy advocacy  on EU issues is not just outsourced to EU federations. National trade associations from small EU member countries should engage in more direct EU public policy advocacy than those from large member countries, because their governments have less power in the EU Council of Ministers.

As an illustration, numerous German business associations now maintain representative offices in the European capital.

• ADV – German Airports Association
• AUMA – Association of the German Trade Fair Industry
• BLL – German Federation for Food Law and Food Science
• BDI – Federation of German Industries
• BDA – Confederation of German Employers’ Associations
• BAVC – German Federation of Chemical Employers’ Associations
• BAK – Federal Chamber of German Architects
• BIngK – Federal Chamber of German Engineers
• VPB – Association of Private Building Owners
• BDE – Federation of the German Waste Management Industry
• BSI – The Federal Association of the German Spirits Industry and Importers
• BTW – Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry
• BVR – National Association of German Co-operative Banks
• BDEW German Association of Energy and Water Industries
• BPI – German Pharmaceutical Industry Association
• Association of German Banks
• GdW – Federal Union of German Housing and Real Estate Associations
• BFW – Federal Association of Independent Real Estate and Housing Companies
• BGA – Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services
• BGL – Federal Association of Road Haulage Logistics and Disposal
• BITKOM – German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media
• VÖB – Association of German Public Sector Banks
• bpa – Federal Association of Private Social Service Providers
• DAV – German Bar Association
• DIHK – Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce
• DSGV – German Savings Banks Association
• DVAI – German Association of the flavouring industry
• DVRH – German Association of fragrance manufactures
• German Equity Institute
• Gesamtmetall Employer’s Association
• GDV – German Insurance Association
• GVSt – German Hard Coal Association
• The Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry
• The German Construction Industry Federation
• HDE – German Retail Federation
• IDW – Institute of Public Auditors in Germany, Incorporated Association
• MIV – Association of the German Dairy Industry
• VDMA – German Mechanical Engineering Association
• VATM – Association of the Providers of Telecommunications and Value-Added Service Providers
• VDA – German Association of the Automotive Industry
• VCI – Association of the German Chemical Industry 2
• VKS – German Association of the Salt and Potash Industry
• vdp – Association of German Pfandbrief Banks
• vbw – The Bavarian Business Association
• WVM – German Non-Ferrous Metals’ Association
• WV Stahl – German Steel Federation
• ZDH – The German Confederation of Skilled Crafts and Small Businesses
• ZVEI – German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association
• ZGV – German Federation of Buying and Marketing Groups