Lobbyists able to marshal detailed information and arguments about difficult text in a proposal offer an invaluable service . They play a very important role in making sure that EU Commission personnel and Members of the EP and their staffs have all the information on any issue of importance.

To meet the minimum standard of competence a person must demonstrate that he/she is able to practice competently to the standard expected of a professional Public Policy Advocate (PPA).   The extent to which the person is able to perform each of the following elements in his/her Public Policy Advocacy practice must be taken into account whether or not he/she meets the overall standard.        

You can't learn lobbying by reading a book. You can go to school to learn about lobbying but you don't become a lobbyist by going to school. It's all about good instincts and instincts can never be taught. Not everybody has the instinct [a natural or inherent aptitude, impulse or capacity] to be a good lobbyist.

Currently some form of regulation exists in six of the EU Member States:

1. Germany
2. France
3. Lithuania (Law introduced in 2001)
4. Austria (Law introduced in 2012)
5. Poland (Law introduced in 1992)
6. Slovenia (Law introduced in 2011)

Slovenia and Austria introduced legislation in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Hungary revoked its previous legislation in 2011. Six other Member States are currently looking at the possibility of regulating interest representation:   

As Public Policy Advocates (PPAs) we provide essential services and are knowledgeable about client needs. We interact closely with government officials and civil society in a wide variety of settings. This gives us a broad appreciation of public policy needs, an understanding of how factors in the environment affect our clients and/or employers and society at large, and insight into how people respond to different strategies and services. As PPAs we help to interpret people's needs and expectations for sound public policies.

The International Public Policy Advocacy Association (IPPAA) is now a legal entity registered on 7 November 2012 in the District of Columbia in Washington, USA.

IPPAA will essentially promote professional and ethical public policy advocacy on a global basis; further cooperation between various nations' public policy advocates and their associated institutions; foster public understanding, transparency, and industry best practices; and conduct public policy advocates' education and training and other activities:

Under the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act Guidance, is considered lobbying an organization that 'actively participates' in the planning, supervision, or control of lobbying activities of a client or registrant when that organization (or an employee of the organization in his or her capacity as an employee) engages directly in planning, supervising, or controlling at least some of the lobbying activities of the client or registrant.

The criteria here below are taken from an excellent article titled ‘How to tame a budget crisis’ by Göran Persson. Mr. Persson was Finance Minister of Sweden from 1994 to 1996 and Prime Minister from 1996 to 2006. Politicians at the EU and national level would be well advised to consider these criteria as they embark on profound reform programmes.

To design and implement reforms politicians at both the EU and national level must  have three personal and non-negotiable commitments.

Five cornerstones of reform

Judging from the latest debate on U.S. Foreign Policy, it seems the Old Continent is no longer a priority for the United States. Europe was hardly mentioned and U.S. EU Relations are not high on the agenda of either Obama or Mitt Romney. Ignoring the significance in improving closer ties will only help jeopardize European and American interests.

A recent decree at the federal level now obliges all Russian strategic enterprises to agree their foreign economic activity with the government. Russian strategic companies include Russian state unitary enterprises and Russian state-woned companies that are active in certain specific sectors of the Russian economy and are considered to be of importance to Russian national defense and security.