AALEP has undertaken a complete survey of all existing national professional lobbying associations. In Europe, the associations usually encompass far more than the lobbying profession They almost always are dominated by other public relations professionals. Indeed public relations professionals significantly outnumber their lobbyist colleagues. Nonetheless, public affairs specialists who communicate with government officials and attempt to influence public policy are well represented in professional public relations associations.

A Greek deal must be reached before March 20, when Greece is due to receive a further €130 billion “bailout tranche” from the International Monetary Fund, and then must make a key €14.5 billion bond payment. Of the €315 billion of Greek debt outstanding, only €7.8 billion of that debt is covered by Greek credit default swaps, and the vast majority of Greek debt (€ 120 billion) is held by European banks, which have little insurance on their exposure.

What happens if Greece goes bankrupt. Here are a few things:

The major consequence of the crisis is that it has put financial questions at the heart of European politics. Lobbyists are being forced to adjust their positions as circumstances change. The crisis has led the Brussels offices of many companies to take more an of an interest in financial matters than they did in the past. Businesses are seeking to defend their interests as borrowers.

The current economic and financial crisis is having severe effects on the local and regional authorities:

AALEP reproduces here after the geopolitical analysis of STRATFOR Global Intelligence for Europe in 2012. STRATFOR uses a unique, intelligence-based approach to gathering information via rigorous open-source monitoring and a global network of human sources. Analysts then evaluate events looking through the objective lens of geopolitics. Their  goal is simple: to make the complexity of the world understandable without ideology, agenda or national bias. 

The economic crisis has led Romanian authorities to take some of the toughest austerity measures in Central and Eastern Europe. The measures adopted last year included a 25 percent cut in public salaries, 15 percent cuts in social assistance, including disability benefits and children’s allowances, and cuts in subsidies for medical treatments – hitting especially people with chronic diseases, such as AIDS, and mental conditions. A third of Romanians say they cannot afford even the basic necessities.

There is no official lobbying law in Russia. Lobbying does not specify, does not define anything in the context of Russian existing legislation. There is no legal framework to regulate the activities of individuals who push for desirable political decisions and lobby for favourable political changes. A bill outlining the process and rules has been hung up in the State Duma for several years.

The realities of today's European market are such that businesses, especially in the field of energy are forced to present and uphold their interests in the different subdivisions and associated structures of the European Union. More than 75% of all legislation and regulations affecting the energy complex are created by EU institutions and must be followed in all member states, and in all countries aspiring for membership.

While Standard & Poors (S&P) is largely being blamed for the downgrade of credit rating, it may be useful to understand the basis of its assessment. After all Standard & Poors is only a messenger.

AALEP has been invited to attend a special hearing of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs on interest group's activities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to be held on 24 January 2012.