DOCSLIB.ORG

50 YEARS of EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HISTORY and Subjugated

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
50 YEARS of EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HISTORY and Subjugated European Parliament – 50th birthday QA-70-07-089-EN-C series 1958–2008 Th ere is hardly a political system in the modern world that does not have a parliamentary assembly in its institutional ‘toolkit’. Even autocratic or totalitarian BUILDING PARLIAMENT: systems have found a way of creating the illusion of popular expression, albeit tamed 50 YEARS OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HISTORY and subjugated. Th e parliamentary institution is not in itself a suffi cient condition for granting a democratic licence. Yet the existence of a parliament is a necessary condition of what 1958–2008 we have defi ned since the English, American and French Revolutions as ‘democracy’. Since the start of European integration, the history of the European Parliament has fallen between these two extremes. Europe was not initially created with democracy in mind. Yet Europe today is realistic only if it espouses the canons of democracy. In other words, political realism in our era means building a new utopia, that of a supranational or post-national democracy, while for two centuries the DNA of democracy has been its realisation within the nation-state. Yves Mény President of the European University Institute, Florence BUILDING PARLIAMENT: BUILDING 50 YEARS OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HISTORY PARLIAMENT EUROPEAN OF YEARS 50 ISBN 978-92-823-2368-7 European Parliament – 50th birthday series Price in Luxembourg (excluding VAT): EUR 25 BUILDING PARLIAMENT: 50 YEARS OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HISTORY 1958–2008 This work was produced by the European University Institute, Florence, under the direction of Yves Mény, for the European Parliament. Contributors: Introduction, Jean-Marie Palayret; Part One, Luciano Bardi, Nabli Beligh, Cristina Sio Lopez and Olivier Costa (coordinator); Part Two, Pierre Roca, Ann Rasmussen and Paolo Ponzano (coordinator); Part Three, Florence Benoît-Rohmer; Conclusions, Yves Mény. The authors are grateful for the close cooperation, expertise, documentation and informed advice pro- vided by Jacques Nancy, Head of the Public Opinion Monitoring Unit, and his colleagues Elise Defourny and Jow- ita Wypych. Graphic design: Artitude www.artitude.be Europe Direct is a service designed to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. There is a free phone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Some mobile phone services do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or may invoice your call. A great deal of further information on the European Union is available on the Internet via the Europa server (http://europa.eu). A bibliography page will be found at the end of this work. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2009 ISBN 978-92-823-2368-7 doi 10.2861/49329 © European Communities, 2009 Reproduction permitted with acknowledgement of source Printed in Belgium BUILDING PARLIAMENT: 50 YEARS OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HISTORY 19582008 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................13 PART I: THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REAFFIRMS ITS LEGITIMACY ......................................33 I. THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ASSERTS ITS POLITICAL LEGITIMACY ................................................33 A. Direct elections and legitimacy of the European Parliament ..............................................................33 A.1 From indirect to direct legitimacy ........................................................................................................34 A.2 1979, a democratic revolution: first elections to the European Parliament ...........................37 1. Electoral participation .........................................................................................................................37 2. Nature and relevance of European elections ...............................................................................38 A.3 Electoral standards and representativeness of the European Parliament ..............................40 1. Minimum threshold: application and percentage .....................................................................43 2. Number of constituencies ..................................................................................................................43 3. Fixed party lists and preferential voting ........................................................................................44 B. Composition of groups within the European Parliament ......................................................................45 B.1 Increase in the number of MEPs between 1958 and 2009 ............................................................45 B.2 Political composition of the European Parliament (1958-2008) ................................................53 1. Political groups in the appointed Parliament ..............................................................................53 2. Groups that emerged following the first direct elections ........................................................55 3. Groups that no longer exist ...............................................................................................................56 C. By its involvement in European representative democracy .................................................................60 C.1. European and national parliaments and the democratic deficit ................................................61 1. The rise to power of the EP ................................................................................................................61 a. From 1958 to 1979: asserting control .....................................................................................61 b. From 1979 to 2008: institutionalisation of real parliamentary control .....................62 2. The gradual mobilisation of national parliaments .....................................................................63 a. Parliaments with binding powers ............................................................................................63 b. Parliaments without direct coercive measures ...................................................................64 C.2. The European Parliament and national parliaments at the service of European democracy.................................................................................................................................67 1. Bilateral parliamentary cooperation ...............................................................................................67 2. Multilateral parliamentary cooperation ........................................................................................68 3. The Convention method .....................................................................................................................70 II. THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ESTABLISHES ITS LEGITIMACY BY OPENING UP TO CIVIL SOCIETY ..........................................................................................................................................86 A. MEPs: from constituencies to Chamber .......................................................................................................89 A.1. First and foremost elected representatives .......................................................................................89 A.2. Just like any other elected representative? .......................................................................................90 B. Lobbying in the European Parliament .........................................................................................................92 B.1. Access to the European Parliament ......................................................................................................93 1. MEPs willing to deal with interest representatives ....................................................................93 2. The difficulty with regulating lobbying in the EP ......................................................................94 B.2. The special role of intergroups ..............................................................................................................97 C. The European Parliament and citizens ........................................................................................................99 C.1. Citizens’ correspondence .......................................................................................................................100 C.2. Examination of petitions ........................................................................................................................100 C.3. The European Ombudsman ..................................................................................................................101 C.4. Visitors and communication policy ....................................................................................................103 C.5. Public hearings ..........................................................................................................................................104 C.6. The European Parliament opens up to public debate ..................................................................106 1. Citizens’ forums ...................................................................................................................................107 2. The Citizens’ Agora .............................................................................................................................108 III. THE BATTLE FOR THE CONSTITUTIONALISATION OF THE UNION .....................................................111
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Introduction to the Fiscal Framework of the EU
    Introduction to the fiscal framework of the EU The Maastricht Treaty, the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance, and the Stability and Growth Pact STUDY EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Author: Angelos Delivorias Members' Research Service PE 679.085 – February 2021 EN Introduction to the fiscal framework of the EU The Maastricht Treaty, the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union, and the Stability and Growth Pact Almost 30 years ago, the Maastricht Treaty laid the basis for economic and monetary union (EMU). Its fiscal provisions have been further developed by subsequent primary and secondary legislation – in particular, the Stability and Growth Pact with its preventive and corrective arms, and the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in EMU. These instruments together constitute the fiscal framework of the European Union. In early 2020, the European Commission launched a review of the EU's economic governance, seeking in particular to establish how effective the surveillance provisions have been in achieving their objectives. This paper aims to provide an introduction to the Union's economic governance, starting from a brief overview of the economic literature, and concluding with a look at possible developments that might follow from the review, not least examining the various calls for its amendment that have been put on the table. While the Commission's review has been put to one side while the immediate issues of the coronavirus pandemic are addressed, the economic consequences of the pandemic are themselves changing the context for the review. EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service AUTHOR Angelos Delivorias, Members' Research Service This paper has been drawn up by the Members' Research Service within the Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services (EPRS) of the Secretariat of the European Parliament.
    [Show full text]
  • The Transformation of Italian Democracy
    Bulletin of Italian Politics Vol. 1, No. 1, 2009, 29-47 The Transformation of Italian Democracy Sergio Fabbrini University of Trento Abstract: The history of post-Second World War Italy may be divided into two distinct periods corresponding to two different modes of democratic functioning. During the period from 1948 to 1993 (commonly referred to as the First Republic), Italy was a consensual democracy; whereas the system (commonly referred to as the Second Republic) that emerged from the dramatic changes brought about by the end of the Cold War functions according to the logic of competitive democracy. The transformation of Italy’s political system has thus been significant. However, there remain important hurdles on the road to a coherent institutionalisation of the competitive model. The article reconstructs the transformation of Italian democracy, highlighting the socio-economic and institutional barriers that continue to obstruct a competitive outcome. Keywords: Italian politics, Models of democracy, Parliamentary government, Party system, Interest groups, Political change. Introduction As a result of the parliamentary elections of 13-14 April 2008, the Italian party system now ranks amongst the least fragmented in Europe. Only four party groups are represented in the Senate and five in the Chamber of Deputies. In comparison, in Spain there are nine party groups in the Congreso de los Diputados and six in the Senado; in France, four in the Assemblée Nationale an d six in the Sénat; and in Germany, six in the Bundestag. Admittedly, as is the case for the United Kingdom, rather fewer parties matter in those democracies in terms of the formation of governments: generally not more than two or three.
    [Show full text]
  • Council and Commission Decision of 26 February 2009 on The
    L 107/164 EN Official Journal of the European Union 28.4.2009 COUNCIL AND COMMISSION COUNCIL AND COMMISSION DECISION of 26 February 2009 on the conclusion of the Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union (2009/331/EC, Euratom) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (2) The Protocol should be concluded, AND THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Community, and in particular Article 310 in conjunction with the second sentence of Article 300(2), first subparagraph, and the second subparagraph of Article 300(3) thereof, Article 1 The Protocol to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic between the European Communities and their Member States, Energy Community, and in particular the second paragraph of of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part, Article 101 thereof, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union is hereby approved on behalf Having regard to the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania of the European Community, the European Atomic Energy and in particular Article 6(2) thereof, Community and the Member States. Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Article 2 Having regard to the assent of the European Parliament, The President of the Council shall, on behalf of the European Community and its Member States, deposit the instruments of Having regard to the Council’s approval pursuant to Article 101 approval provided for in Article 11 of the Protocol.
    [Show full text]
  • European Parliament Resolution of 12 December 2013 on Constitutional Problems of a Multitier Governance in the European Union (2012/2078(INI)) (2016/C 468/25)
    C 468/176 EN Official Journal of the European Union 15.12.2016 Thursday 12 December 2013 P7_TA(2013)0598 Constitutional problems of a multitier governance in the EU European Parliament resolution of 12 December 2013 on constitutional problems of a multitier governance in the European Union (2012/2078(INI)) (2016/C 468/25) The European Parliament, — having regard to the Treaty on the European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, — having regard to the Treaty on the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) (1), — having regard to the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union (TSCG) (2), — having regard to the ‘six-pack’ (3), — having regard to the ‘two-pack’ (4), — having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (5), — having regard to its position of 12 September 2013 on the proposal for a Council regulation conferring specific tasks on the European Central Bank concerning policies relating to the prudential supervision of credit institutions (6), — having regard to the report of 5 December 2012 of the Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the Eurogroup entitled ‘Towards a genuine Economic and Monetary Union’ (7), — having regard to the Commission communication of 28 November 2012 entitled ‘A blueprint for a deep and genuine economic
    [Show full text]
  • Spotlight Europe Reforming Economic and Monetary Union: Legislation and Treaty Change
    spotlight europe spotlight europe #2017/01 Reforming Economic and Monetary Union: Legislation and Treaty Change This paper examines the legal mechanisms for reforming EMU — EU legislation, amendments to intergovernmental treaties concluded outside EU law, and EU treaty changes. It provides guidance on how to introduce several needed changes to EMU, suggesting that many reforms can be accomplished à traité constant, but that improving the EU institutional system ultimately requires changing the EU treaties. to strengthen the Eurozone economy and its insti- Federico Fabbrini * tutional set-up. This effort acquires a new meaning since it coincides with the likely trigger that month by th e United Kingdom (UK) of negotiations to leave 1. Introduction the ­­EU. Brexit has already prompted soul-searching The reform of Europe’s Economic and Monetary Union wit­­h in the EU and created the need to think anew (EMU) remains on the agenda of the institutions about Europe’s strategic future. The purpose of this and the member states of the European Union (EU). paper is to contribute to this debate, by analyzing the Several high-level institutional reports on deepening legal wa ys and means to reform EMU — on the un- and completing EMU have been published in the last derstanding that the success of the European integra- few years, and the European Commission is expected tion project also depends on the successful resolution to deliver by March 2017 a white paper mapping how of the Euro-crisis and consolidation of EMU. * Full Professor of European Law, School of Law & Government, Dublin City University spotlight europe #2017/01 There are three legal avenues to reform EMU, complet- National leaders have also endorsed the goal of ing and deepening Europe’s architecture of economic stabilizing EMU.
    [Show full text]
  • European Parliament: 7Th February 2017 Redistribution of Political Balance
    POLICY PAPER European issues n°420 European Parliament: 7th February 2017 redistribution of political balance Charles de Marcilly François Frigot At the mid-term of the 8th legislature, the European Parliament, in office since the elections of May 2014, is implementing a traditional “distribution” of posts of responsibility. Article 19 of the internal regulation stipulates that the Chairs of the parliamentary committees, the Deputy-Chairs, as well as the questeurs, hold their mandates for a renewable 2 and a-half year period. Moreover, internal elections within the political groups have supported their Chairs, whilst we note that there has been some slight rebalancing in terms of the coordinators’ posts. Although Italian citizens draw specific attention with the two main candidates in the battle for the top post, we should note other appointments if we are to understand the careful balance between nationalities, political groups and individual experience of the European members of Parliament. A TUMULTUOUS PRESIDENTIAL provide collective impetus to potential hesitations on the part of the Member States. In spite of the victory of the European People’s Party (EPP) in the European elections, it supported Martin As a result the election of the new President of Schulz in July 2104 who stood for a second mandate as Parliament was a lively[1] affair: the EPP candidate – President of the Parliament. In all, with the support of the Antonio Tajani – and S&D Gianni Pittella were running Liberals (ADLE), Martin Schulz won 409 votes following neck and neck in the fourth round of the relative an agreement concluded by the “grand coalition” after majority of the votes cast[2].
    [Show full text]
  • The European Union in Transition: the Treaty of Nice in Effect; Enlargement in Sight; a Constitution in Doubt
    Fordham International Law Journal Volume 27, Issue 2 2003 Article 1 The European Union in Transition: The Treaty of Nice in Effect; Enlargement in Sight; A Constitution in Doubt Roger J. Goebel∗ ∗ Copyright c 2003 by the authors. Fordham International Law Journal is produced by The Berke- ley Electronic Press (bepress). http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ilj The European Union in Transition: The Treaty of Nice in Effect; Enlargement in Sight; A Constitution in Doubt Roger J. Goebel Abstract This Article is intended to provide an overview of this transitional moment in the history of the European Union. Initially, the Article will briefly review the background of the Treaty of Nice, and the institutional structure modifications for which it provides, which paves the way for enlargement. Next it will describe the final stages of the enlargement process. Finally, the Article will set out the principal institutional innovations and certain other key aspects of the draft Constitution, the most important issues concerning them, and the current impasse. THE EUROPEAN UNION IN TRANSITION: THE TREATY OF NICE IN EFFECT; ENLARGEMENT IN SIGHT; A CONSTITUTION IN DOUBT Rogerj Goebel* INTRODUCTION Once again the European Union' (the "EU" or the "Union") is in a stage of radical evolution. Since the early 1990's, the EU has anticipated an extraordinary increase in its constituent Member States2 through the absorption of a large number of Central European and Mediterranean nations. Since the late 1990's, the Union has been negotiating the precise terms for their entry with a dozen applicant nations and has been providing cooperative assistance to them to prepare for their accession to the Union and in particular, its principal con- stituent part, the European Community.3 As this enlargement of the Union came more clearly in sight, the political leadership and the present Member States, joined by the Commission, con- * Professor and Director of the Center on European Union Law, Fordham Univer- sity School of Law.
    [Show full text]
  • Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe
    This page intentionally left blank Populist radical right parties in Europe As Europe enters a significant phase of re-integration of East and West, it faces an increasing problem with the rise of far-right political par- ties. Cas Mudde offers the first comprehensive and truly pan-European study of populist radical right parties in Europe. He focuses on the par- ties themselves, discussing them both as dependent and independent variables. Based upon a wealth of primary and secondary literature, this book offers critical and original insights into three major aspects of European populist radical right parties: concepts and classifications; themes and issues; and explanations for electoral failures and successes. It concludes with a discussion of the impact of radical right parties on European democracies, and vice versa, and offers suggestions for future research. cas mudde is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Antwerp. He is the author of The Ideology of the Extreme Right (2000) and the editor of Racist Extremism in Central and Eastern Europe (2005). Populist radical right parties in Europe Cas Mudde University of Antwerp CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521850810 © Cas Mudde 2007 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comprehensive Plan to Innovate Democracy in Europe
    A comprehensive plan to innovate democracy in Europe Civil society vision for the European Democracy Action Plan A comprehensive plan to innovate democracy in Europe Civil society vision for the European Democracy Action Plan CIVIL SOCIETY VISION FOR 04 THE EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY ACTION PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive summary 07 Introduction 09 1. Civic space and active citizenship 12 1.1 Policy framework with guidelines on civic space 14 1.2 Anti-SLAPP directive 16 1.3 Whistleblowers protection 16 1.4 Space for youth 17 1.5 Financial support to CSOs 18 1.6 Conditionality related to the EU funds 20 1.7 Expanding the Rule of Law Mechanism 21 1.8 Stakeholder participation in strengthening democracy and the rule of law 22 1.9 Structured dialogue with Civil Society at EU and Member State level 22 1.10 Active citizenship fit for the 21st Century 24 1.11 European public sphere 26 1.12 Participation of underrepresented groups 27 1.13 Conference on the Future of Europe 28 2. Elections 31 2.1 European electoral reform 32 2.2 Inclusiveness & equal suffrage rights 33 2.3 Accessibility of elections 34 2.4 European political parties’ conduct, transparency & resilience 35 2.5 Online political advertising 37 2.6 Elections during a pandemic 41 2.7 Citizen election observation 43 2.8 Data Protection and elections 44 2.9 Election Infrastructure 45 CIVIL SOCIETY VISION FOR THE EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY ACTION PLAN 05 3. Disinformation and online public sphere 46 3.1 Governing internet platforms 48 3.2 Transparency of dominant platforms 50 3.3 Addressing the online manipulation business model by enforcing data protection rules 52 3.4 Upholding fundamental rights in the EU approach to disinformation 53 3.5 Central coordination and decentralised cooperation on disinformation 54 3.6 Decentralised framework fund 55 3.7 Sustainable and transnational journalism and media to counter disinformation 56 3.8 Global coordination and knowledge-sharing around hybrid threats 57 3.9 Data access for public interest scrutiny 58 3.10 Elections and disinformation 59 4.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 European Elections the Weight of the Electorates Compared to the Electoral Weight of the Parliamentary Groups
    2019 European Elections The weight of the electorates compared to the electoral weight of the parliamentary groups Guillemette Lano Raphaël Grelon With the assistance of Victor Delage and Dominique Reynié July 2019 2019 European Elections. The weight of the electorates | Fondation pour l’innovation politique I. DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THE WEIGHT OF ELECTORATES AND THE ELECTORAL WEIGHT OF PARLIAMENTARY GROUPS The Fondation pour l’innovation politique wished to reflect on the European elections in May 2019 by assessing the weight of electorates across the European constituency independently of the electoral weight represented by the parliamentary groups comprised post-election. For example, we have reconstructed a right-wing Eurosceptic electorate by aggregating the votes in favour of right-wing national lists whose discourses are hostile to the European Union. In this case, for instance, this methodology has led us to assign those who voted for Fidesz not to the European People’s Party (EPP) group but rather to an electorate which we describe as the “populist right and extreme right” in which we also include those who voted for the Italian Lega, the French National Rally, the Austrian FPÖ and the Sweden Democrats. Likewise, Slovak SMER voters were detached from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group and instead categorised as part of an electorate which we describe as the “populist left and extreme left”. A. The data collected The electoral results were collected list by list, country by country 1, from the websites of the national parliaments and governments of each of the States of the Union. We then aggregated these data at the European level, thus obtaining: – the number of individuals registered on the electoral lists on the date of the elections, or the registered voters; – the number of votes, or the voters; – the number of valid votes in favour of each of the lists, or the votes cast; – the number of invalid votes, or the blank or invalid votes.
    [Show full text]
  • A Companion to Nineteenth- Century Britain
    A COMPANION TO NINETEENTH- CENTURY BRITAIN Edited by Chris Williams A Companion to Nineteenth-Century Britain A COMPANION TO NINETEENTH- CENTURY BRITAIN Edited by Chris Williams © 2004 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 108, Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton South, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Chris Williams to be identified as the Author of the Editorial Material in this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. First published 2004 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A companion to nineteenth-century Britain / edited by Chris Williams. p. cm. – (Blackwell companions to British history) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-631-22579-X (alk. paper) 1. Great Britain – History – 19th century – Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Great Britain – Civilization – 19th century – Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Williams, Chris, 1963– II. Title. III. Series. DA530.C76 2004 941.081 – dc22 2003021511 A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. Set in 10 on 12 pt Galliard by SNP Best-set Typesetter Ltd., Hong Kong Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by TJ International For further information on Blackwell Publishing, visit our website: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com BLACKWELL COMPANIONS TO BRITISH HISTORY Published in association with The Historical Association This series provides sophisticated and authoritative overviews of the scholarship that has shaped our current understanding of British history.
    [Show full text]
  • Association of Accredited Lobbyists to the European Parliament
    ASSOCIATION OF ACCREDITED LOBBYISTS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OVERVIEW OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FORUMS AALEP Secretariat Date: October 2007 Avenue Milcamps 19 B-1030 Brussels Tel: 32 2 735 93 39 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.lobby-network.eu TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction………………………………………………………………..3 Executive Summary……………………………………………………….4-7 1. European Energy Forum (EEF)………………………………………..8-16 2. European Internet Forum (EIF)………………………………………..17-27 3. European Parliament Ceramics Forum (EPCF………………………...28-29 4. European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum (EPFSF)…………30-36 5. European Parliament Life Sciences Circle (ELSC)……………………37 6. Forum for Automobile and Society (FAS)…………………………….38-43 7. Forum for the Future of Nuclear Energy (FFNE)……………………..44 8. Forum in the European Parliament for Construction (FOCOPE)……..45-46 9. Pharmaceutical Forum…………………………………………………48-60 10.The Kangaroo Group…………………………………………………..61-70 11.Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN)…………………………………..71-79 Conclusions………………………………………………………………..80 Index of Listed Companies………………………………………………..81-90 Index of Listed MEPs……………………………………………………..91-96 Most Active MEPs participating in Business Forums…………………….97 2 INTRODUCTION Businessmen long for certainty. They long to know what the decision-makers are thinking, so they can plan ahead. They yearn to be in the loop, to have the drop on things. It is the genius of the lobbyists and the consultants to understand this need, and to satisfy it in the most imaginative way. Business forums are vehicles for forging links and maintain a dialogue with business, industrial and trade organisations. They allow the discussions of general and pre-legislative issues in a different context from lobbying contacts about specific matters. They provide an opportunity to get Members of the European Parliament and other decision-makers from the European institutions together with various business sectors.
    [Show full text]