NOT ONE BUT 28 LOBBYING CAPITALS

Although up to 80 percent of legislation in certain policy areas emanates from Brussels, and while many say that Brussels has gained parity with Washington DC as the 'lobbying capital of the world', there is not one lobbying capital within the EU but 28 lobbying capitals.

There is no efficient EU lobbying without lobbying at national level. Therefore, maintaining staff in major European capitals to try and influence national governments is of paramount importance.

In the United States lobbying assuredly takes place at the federal level in Washington DC, but it also takes place in the 50 states of the Union. As a matter fact of late, there has been more activity at state level than at the federal level. There are only 12,000 registered U.S. lobbyists at the federal level versus an estimated 70,000 in all states combined.

As the European Union changes its configuration and engages in reforming itself, there is no question that the 'national voice' will increasingly be heard and hence the need to prepare for engagement in the field of public policy advocacy at the national level.

AALEP for its part is inviting colleagues in EU Member States and even beyond the EU to join in order to develop reciprocal cooperation in parliamentary work especially in legislation and public policy advocacy. We need to increase cooperation between the EU and national level on concrete issues or specific draft EU legislation to be successful.