Nowadays European policy covers all policy fields. To be an effective advocate of Germany’s interests in Brussels, Germany needs an efficient policy coordination within the Federal Government.

Permanent Representations are basically the Brussels arm of national Government Departments, with Permanent Representatives predominantly coming from their countries’ Foreign Service. Most staff nevertheless come from a range of Government Departments, including Trade and Industry, Finance, Employment and Agriculture. In seconding staff to Permanent Representations, Government Departments choose people of good quality. This is partly because of their effectiveness while they are in Brussels; Governments require skilled individuals that are able to negotiate effectively in meetings.

Austria Permanent Representation to the EU

• Mr. Walter Grahammer, Ambassador, Permanent Representative
• Mr. Gregor Schusterschitz, Deputy Permanent Representative

 Belgium Permanent Representation to the EU

• Mr. Dirk Wouters, Ambassador, Permanent Representative
• Mr. Olivier Belle, Deputy Permanent Representative

Bulgaria Permanent Representation to the EU

The EU agencies need a robust framework to match their important role in the decision-making process.

The EU agencies were set up to provide expertise on some of the issues that Europeans care most about – from health and social policy to foreign and security policy. They help the EU institutions make the right decisions by delivering legal, technical and – in some cases – scientific back-up.

EU governments willingly provide policy briefings to their own national delegations in the European Parliament. Traditionally, much national briefing was essentially formal, taking the form of written memoranda outlining the view of national administrations on Commission proposals, or on parliamentary reports once tabled for the EP’s plenary. What has changed in recent years, however, is that national officials and politicians have started to seek to influence EP proceedings more intensively, at an earlier stage, and in tandem with their evolving position in the Council of Ministers.

Many organizations interested in government relations frequently ask “What makes a good Public Policy Advocate and how will I know one when I see one?” For an organization it is important to hire a Public Policy Advocate who establishes a strong relationship with the organization, its members and who works hard to understand the organization’s issues and concerns. Here are some other things to consider:

The effects of lobbying in the European Parliament are contingent and not certain. They fluctuate in accordance with inter-institutional interactions, national interests, types of policy, types of legislation, as well as the style of lobbying, the coalitions formed around specific policies and the nature of resources deployed by lobbyists themselves. The most effective collectively organised interests and lobbyists know that Brussels is very much an insider’s town.

The Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is a trade agreement currently being negotiated by 23 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including the EU. Together, these countries account for 70% of world trade in services.

TiSA is based on the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which involves all WTO members. The key provisions of the GATS – scope, definitions, market access, national treatment and exemptions – are also found in TiSA .

The EPP Group stresses that the T-TIP must not and cannot overrule, repeal or amend EU laws and regulations. Any changes to EU laws have to be approved by the competent Institutions. The EPP Group considers that, for trade negotiations, a certain amount of confidentiality should be maintained, so as not to undermine the EU's own position in the negotiations. However, this confidentiality should be balanced by an accurate and appropriate flow of information to the other stakeholders and to the public, including the European Parliament and the Council.

The S&D Group (Socialists and Democrats) recognizes the opportunities of the agreement. Especially as regards improved access to the U.S. markets for services and public procurement, recognition of technical standards, protection of EU geographical indications and the abolition of U.S. trade restrictions (as for instance the 'Buy American Act' and the 'Jones Act'), the EU and its industries and services have clear offensive interests under the T-TIP. Furthermore, the T-TIP can provide an opportunity to reinforce workers' rights in the USA, based on high ILO and EU standards.