5th Conference
EU PUBLIC AFFAIRS 26 /27 March 2015 The Hotel, Brussels
HOW BRUSSELS WORKS RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EU POLITICAL PROCESS & THE FUTURE OF LOBBYING
Discounted registration available until February 27
TATI O N ++ + IN G A RE PR ES EN N N RU + ++ G IN N S ++ + IE S AN D CA M PA IG IO N AL ST RATE G IE AT N DAY 1 ST RATE G D AN AN PE IN G EU RO M EP S ++ + AL IG N G U LATI O N S ++ + W O RK IN G W IT H N S ++ + N EW RE O TI U IT ST IN EU W IT H O G U ES ++ + DAY 2 W O RK IN G RS TA N DI N G TR IL DE N U + ++ E IV AT E PE RS PE CT TH E M EM BE R ST
conferences.quadriga.eu/en/publicaffairs
PROGRAMME 2015 THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 12:00 pm–1:30 pm
Meet & Greet/Tour of Brussels (Optional)
12:00 pm–1:30 pm
Public Affairs in Brussels 101 (Optional)
1:30 pm–2:00 pm
DOORS OPEN AND WELCOME COFFEE
2:00 pm–2:15 pm
WELCOME/INTRODUCTION
Professor Christian Thorun, Quadriga University 2:15 pm–3:00 pm
KEYNOTE: A GRAND JOURNEY THROUGH THE INSTITUTIONS BY AN EU LOBBYIST
Daniel Guéguen, Founder & Chairman, PACT European Affairs,
Professor at the College of Europe
MODULE I: STRATEGIES AND CAMPAIGNING
3:00 pm–3:30 pm
BEST CASE: HOW DOES A BRUSSELS REPRESENTATION WORK AND HOW TO ALIGN PA
ACTIVITIES AND COMPANY STRATEGY
Marie-France Van der Valk, European Affairs Director, Renault
3:30 pm–4:00 pm
COFFEE BREAK
4:00 pm–4:30 pm 4:30 pm–5:00 pm
BEST CASE: THE RISE OF AD HOC COALITIONS IN EXTERNAL ADVOCACY Christiaan Prins, Director European External Affairs, Unilever INSIGHT: COORDINATING PA WORK BETWEEN BRUSSELS AND MEMBER STATES –
A MULTINATIONAL’S PERSPECTIVE
Nikolaus Tacke, Public Affairs and Government Relations Director, Europe, Coca-Cola
5:00 pm–5:30 pm 5:30 pm–6:00 pm 8:00 pm
INFO SESSION: WHO I SHOULD KNOW AND WHERE DO I MEET THEM? Frank Schwalba-Hoth, Freelance Consultant, former MEP BEST CASE: BUILDING ALLIANCES IN BRUSSELS Christina von Westernhagen, Director EU Advocacy, The Dow Chemical Company DINNER AND KEYNOTE SPEECH Stefano Sannino, Permanent Representative of Italy to the European Union
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 8:30 am
DOORS OPEN
9:00 am–9:15 am
WELCOME/INTRODUCTION
Professor Christian Thorun, Quadriga University Berlin
9:15 am–10:00 am 10:00 am–10:30 am
KEYNOTE: THE CULTURE OF TRILOGUES MODULE II: WORKING WITH EU INSTITUTIONS INSIGHT: IMPACT OF THE NEW EU TRANSPARENCY RULES ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
ADVOCACY IN BRUSSELS
Max von Abendroth, Executive Director, European Magazine Media Association
10:30 am–11:00 am
COFFEE BREAK
11:00 am–11:30 am
INSIGHT: THE EUROPEAN UNION FROM A MEMBER STATE PERSPECTIVE: THE ROLE OF
NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Andris Pelšs, Representative to the Political and Security Committee, Permanent
Representation of Latvia to the European Union
11:45 am–1:00 pm 11:45 am–1:00 pm 11:45 am–1:00 pm
WORKSHOP 1: COMITOLOGY AND DELEGATED ACTS: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Vicky Marissen, Partner and Managing Director, PACT European Affairs WORKSHOP 2: REPUTATION: CAN IT BE MEASURED? Nick Andrews, Senior Vice President & Senior Partner, FleishmanHillard WORKSHOP 3: ESSENTIAL BUILDING BLOCKS OF A EU PUBLIC AFFAIRS PLAN
Giles Keane, Founding Partner, Acumen Public Affairs
1:00 pm–2:00 pm
LUNCH
2:00 pm–3:15 pm
Workshops repeat
3:15 pm–3:30 pm
Conference Summary
EU PUBLIC & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
HOW BRUSSELS WORKS
Conference
EU PUBLIC AFFAIRS HOW BRUSSELS WORKS
Prof. Christian Thorun Quadriga University
Last year, the European Union underwent profound developments. The elections rearranged the top level of the European Commission as the Parliament chose Jean-Claude Juncker as their first elected president. With Juncker willing to establish an inter-institutional and mandatory lobbying register for Council, Parliament and Commission, the Commission’s transparency initiative for TTIP and Lobbying is only the first step, with many more to follow. While the first part of our conference will focus on strategies and campaigning, the second day will focus entirely on recent changes in the institutions and their impact on your daily work. During the two-day event we facilitate interactions between lobbyists, political analysts and EU representatives who are ready to a nswer all your questions.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
CONFERENCE FORMATS KEYNOTE The keynotes will get the conference started with an insight into how lobbying has transformed in the past few years and provide you with insights into the culture of trilogues.
BEST CASES Listen to best cases from some of Europe’s best-known companies and how they manage to support their cause in front of the European institutions.
Understanding the EU’s new rules Exploring new Public Affairs strategies Finding solutions for a more transparent lobbying process Getting to know over 100 PA professionals
Getting an insight into working with officials from the Council, Parliament and Commission Learning how to build an effective PA plan aligned with c ompany strategy Finding the right approach in networking with the right people
CONFERENCES.QUADRIGA.EU / EN / PUBLICAFFAIRS
HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS Experience the practical aspects of working in Brussels and collaborating with the European institutions in our workshops, which will be offered twice on the second day of the conference.
INFO SESSION The info sessions will take you behind the stage at what might be the most important aspects in the institution’s life: finding new contacts and working together with officials from the EU.
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THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 12:00 PM–1:30 PM
OPTIONAL
GUIDED TOUR – THE EUROPEAN QUARTER
PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN BRUSSELS 101
We offer our participants the possibility to visit one of Brussels’ busiest districts, the European Quarter. This is an amazing opportunity to see the European Union’s official buildings but also explore the historic centre while networking with fellow participants.
In order to allow for all participants to be at the same level we invite you to our optional Public Affairs Basics session. The session can be taken as an alternative to the bus tour and will be hosted by Christian Thorun, our moderator and professor of political science, international politics and public affairs at Quadriga University Berlin. Use this opportunity to freshen up your knowledge and get ready for two insight-packed days.
1:30 PM DOORS OPEN/WELCOME COFFEE 2:00 PM–2:15 PM WELCOME/INTRODUCTION
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Christian Throun, professor at Quadriga University Berlin, will open the conference with a few w elcoming words and a short introduction to the events’ programme. Prof. Dr. Christian Thorun is professor of political science, international politics and public affairs at Quadriga University in Berlin. He is also founder and managing director of ConPolicy, a research and consultancy institute in the field of consumer politics. He is member of the Board of Directors of the FLO-Cert and of the think tank Club of Rome.
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Prof. Christian Thorun Quadriga University
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M O D U L E I : S T R AT E G I E S A N D C A M PA I G N I N G 2:15 PM–3:00 PM OPENING KEYNOTE
A GRAND JOURNEY THROUGH THE INSTITUTIONS BY A EU LOBBYIST During the 2014 conference Daniel Guéguen presented the consequences of the Lisbon treaty on lobbying. He elaborated in particular on the slide from primary legislation – which is becoming ‘framework’ legislation – to delegated and implementing acts. In this year’s conference Daniel will analyse the role the newly appointed Commission and the new European Parliament play. The impact of the 2015 Work Programme and the negotiations on a new inter-institutional agreement will be analysed from the perspective of lobbying techniques. With 35 years of experience in EU public affairs, Daniel Guéguen is founder and Chairman of PACT European Affairs and Vice President of Europolitics. In 1996 he founded CLAN Public Affairs and the European Training Institute and before this, Daniel was Director General for the European Sugar Industry and Secretary General of COPA-CO-GECA, the EU farmers’ union lobby. Daniel Guéguen is a visiting professor at the College of Europe in Bruges as well as at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. He is a renowned author of 15 books, which have been translated into 20 languages. New publications are currently available: Handbook on Secondary Legislation (2012) and Reshaping European Lobbying (2013).
Daniel Guéguen Founder & Chairman, PACT European Affairs and Professor at the College of Europe
3:00 PM–3:30 PM BEST CASE
HOW DOES A BRUSSELS REPRESENTATION WORK AND HOW TO ALIGN PA ACTIVITIES AND COMPANY STRATEGY A company’s representation in Brussels is like an embassy. It carries the company’s messages to the institutions and informs the corporation of the political situation in Brussels. This s ession will explain how such corporate embassies are organised and what their day-to-day work consists of. PA activities and company strategy are very much interlinked. The PA department adapts its message towards decision-makers to the company’s strategy, but the company’s strategy is also influenced by the information gathered by the PA department with other key Departments. This session will explain how this two-way relationship works.
Marie-France van der Valk European Affairs Director, Renault
Marie-France Van Der Valk was appointed in 2010 European Affairs Director of Renault. She is promoting the interests of the Group – for both Renault and Nissan – to the European Institutions on all issues linked with car industry. Marie-France joined Renault in 1996 in the Legal Department and spent 4 years at the Manufacturing Department. Previously, she worked for the OECD (Nuclear Energy Agency) and for the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Marie-France has a Law degree (Private International Law and Environment Law). 3:30 PM–4:00 PM COFFEE BREAK 4:00 PM–4:30 PM BEST CASE
THE RISE OF AD HOC COALITIONS IN EXTERNAL ADVOCACY In addition to traditional trade associations, alliances are increasingly build through ad hoc coalitions. What are the advantages of ad hoc coalitions over trade associations and what weight do ad hoc coalitions carry in the political debate? Christiaan Prins joined Unilever in May 2008 and holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Groningen (NL) and a PhD in Arts from the University of Groningen (NL). Before joining Unilever, he worked for more than five years in the European Parliament as a policy advisor to an MEP. Since January 2014 Christiaan heads the Unilever European External Affairs Office in Brussels.
CONFERENCES.QUADRIGA.EU / EN / PUBLICAFFAIRS
Christiaan Prins Director European External Affairs, Unilever
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4:30 PM–5:00 PM INSIGHT
COORDINATING PA WORK BETWEEN BRUSSELS AND MEMBER STATES – A MULTINATIONAL‘S PERSPECTIVE What do corporate public affairs look like today? What are the best platforms to reach out to policy makers? How can public affairs activities efficiently be coordinated between Brussels and EU Member States? What to expect from the re-formed EU institutions and their new transparency initiative? Some insights from a multinational’s perspective. Nikolaus Tacke is Coca-Cola’s chief lobbyist in Europe, leading the company’s work with EU institutions and stakeholders, and developing company strategies to address public policy developments in the areas of health, environment, taxation, competition, trade and agriculture. Nikolaus is in charge of coordinating Coca-Cola’s Government Relations across the 38 countries of its Europe Group, the strategy for European trade and industry associations, and the management of consulting agency support. Prior to joining Coca-Cola in 2008, Nikolaus worked in the public affairs department of a global agribusiness company in Brussels and headed the office of a multinational PR agency in Berlin. He is member of several trade associations and chairs a number of industry groups and association committees. Nikolaus holds a PhD in Egyptology and a Master’s degree in Classical Archaeology and Art History.
Nikolaus Tacke Public Affairs and Government Relations Director, Europe, Coca-Cola
5:00 PM–5:30 PM INFO SESSION
WHO I SHOULD KNOW AND WHERE DO I MEET THEM? At first glance, building a useful professional network in Brussels seems complicated: the terminology, the institutional interplay, the consultations, and the lack of separation between government and o pposition. In seven steps, Frank Schwalba-Hoth will attempt to decipher the unspoken words of decision-making in Brussels and identify ways you can find your own place in the Brussels inner-circles. As co-founder of the German Green Party, Frank Schwalba-Hoth has served as a member of the Landtag of H esse, and also as an MEP in the European Parliament. Since leaving the EP, Frank has lead the Greenpeace EU Office in Brussels, and has also occasionally worked for the European Commission TACIS Programm in Central Asia.
Frank Schwalba-Hoth Freelance Consultant and former MEP
5:30 PM–6:00 PM BEST CASE
BUILDING ALLIANCES IN BRUSSELS In her session, Christina von Westernhagen will focus on alliances that are building up around particular issues where common interests are at stake and need to be worked on. Learn in this session about the importance of alliances to achieve corporate goals and how to build them up. As Director of EU Advocacy Ms. von Westernhagen provides advocacy services and policy analyses on EU policy initiatives to support business growth, manage cost and mitigate regulatory risk for The Dow Chemical Company. She is an active member of several trade and business associations including Cefic, the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (Amcham EU), and others, and also represents the company directly to the EU Institutions, opinion formers and other stakeholders.
Christina von Westernhagen Director EU Advocacy, The Dow Chemical Company
FROM 8:00 PM KEYNOTE
DINNER AND KEYNOTE SPEECH Join us on Thursday evening for dinner with your fellow participants and our conference speakers. Use this chance to get to know everyone and to get a sense of what Brussels networking sessions are like. Stefano Sannino will share insights of a Permanent Representation to the European Union and reflect on Italys’ Presidency of the Council during the second half of 2014. Between 2002-04, Stefano Sannino served as Romano Prodi‘s diplomatic adviser when Prodi was president of the European Commission. From 2004-06 Stefano was the Commission’s director for crisis management and from 200608, he again was diplomatic adviser to Prodi, being the prime minister back then. Afterwards he held senior positions in the Commission‘s external-relations department before becoming deputy director-general for enlargement. 6
Stefano Sannino Permanent Representative of Italy to the European Union
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HOW BRUSSELS WORKS
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 8:30 AM DOORS OPEN/WELCOME COFFEE
9:00 AM–9:15 AM WELCOME/INTRODUCTION
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION The second day of the conference will open with a short introduction by Professor Thorun and a summary of the first day of the event.
Prof. Christian Thorun Quadriga University
9:15 AM–10:00 AM KEYNOTE
THE CULTURE OF TRILOGUES Trilogues are hard to grasp as these informal tripartite meetings attended by representatives from the European Commission, the Council and the Parliament do not follow a specific standard. Both attendance as well as content and purpose of these meetings can vary in level and from political discussions to technical ones. Learn in this session more about trilogues, their purposes and how you can benefit as a lobbyist.
M O D U L E I I : W O R K I N G W I T H EU I N S T I T U T I O N S 10:00 AM–10:30 AM INSIGHT
IMPACT OF NEW EU TRANSPARENCY RULES ON EFFECTIVENESS OF MEDIA ADVOCACY IN BRUSSELS In his presentation Max will outline new requirements for lobbying organisations related to the updated EU transparency rules. He will reflect the impact of these changes on the everyday work of the European Magazine Media Association, EMMA, with the EU institutions and discuss best-practices on dealing with the new rules. Max von Abendroth joined the European Magazine Media Association, EMMA, (www.magazinemedia.eu) in January 2005 as Director of Communications and Sustainability. He became Executive Director of EMMA in September 2009. In recent years EMMA twice received an award for being the most effective and most innovative trade organisation in Brussels. He is the initiator of the Future Media Lab. (www.futuremedialab.info), a think tank initiative that provides a common platform for media innovation and public policy. Max holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from Witten/Herdecke University, Germany.
CONFERENCES.QUADRIGA.EU / EN / PUBLICAFFAIRS
Max von Abendroth Executive Director, European Magazine Media Association
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10:30 AM–11:00 AM COFFEE BREAK 11:00 AM–11:30 AM INSIGHT
THE EUROPEAN UNION FROM A MEMBER STATE PERSPECTIVE: THE ROLE OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EU In this session, Andris Pelšs, Political and Security Committee Ambassador at the Permanent Representation of Latvia to the EU will expand on the decision-making process in member states, the role of the Council of the Ministers and their specific role with regards to trilogues. Ambassador Andris Pelšs is representing Latvia to the Political and Security Committee that is responsible dealing with the Common Foreign and Security Policy issues, including Common Security and Defence Policy.
Andris Pelšs Representative to the Political and Security Committee, Permanent Representation of Latvia to the European Union
11:45 AM–1:00 PM WORKSHOP SESSION I
COMITOLOGY AND DELEGATED ACTS: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Expert groups and a possible register for delegated acts; alignment Omnibuses withdrawn; a new inter-institutional agreement to remedy the distrust over secondary legislation amongst EU Institutions? Comitology and delegated acts are topics in full development and high on the EU agenda. What do these evolutions mean in terms of PA and what is tomorrow made of for secondary legislation. Vicky Marissen is co-founder and managing director of PACT European Affairs/PACT Training. She is a recognised expert of the EU decision-making process, in particular post-Lisbon Comitology procedures. Previously, Vicky was managing director at the European Training Institute and senior consultant at CLAN Public Affairs specialising in secondary legislation.
Vicky Marissen Partner & Managing Director, PACT European Affairs
11:45 AM–1:00 PM WORKSHOP SESSION I
REPUTATION: CAN IT BE MEASURED? In this session, Nick Andrews will be exploring the drivers of corporate reputation to determine whether reputation can really be quantified and measured. Nick Andrews is Senior Vice President & Senior Partner of FleishmanHillard in Brussels. He has been a corporate communications and public affairs consultant for over twenty-five years, specialising in crisis management and change management. Nick brings valuable experience in managing large, multi-market communications programs across Europe and in almost all sectors; from oil and gas, to aviation, to pharmaceuticals.
Nick Andrews Senior Vice President & Senior Partner, FleishmanHillard
11:45 AM–1:00 PM WORKSHOP SESSION I
ESSENTIAL BUILDING BLOCKS OF A EU PUBLIC AFFAIRS PLAN What do you want to achieve with your EU public affairs strategy? What are the tools and resources you need to have in place? Who are the people you should be talking to, how and when should you a pproach them, and what are the messages you should be communicating? This interactive workshop will provide useful insights into the essential elements of EU public affairs progamme, and practical advice on how to go about developing a successful action plan. Giles Keane has over ten years’ experience in EU public affairs consultancy. Prior to join acumen public affairs as a founding partner, in his previous position he was a Director of International Corporate Communications at Hill & Knowlton Brussels. He has worked across numerous sectors and policy areas including food & agriculture, environment & energy, healthcare and international trade.
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Giles Keane Founding Partner, Acumen PA
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1:00 PM–2:00 PM LUNCH 2:00 PM–3:15 PM WORKSHOP SESSION II
3:15 PM–3:30 PM SUMMING UP
SUMMING UP After two intense days of networking and practical tips we close the conference with a wrap up of the event and highlighting the most important learnings.
Christian Thorun Quadriga University CONFERENCES.QUADRIGA.EU / EN / PUBLICAFFAIRS
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EU PUBLIC & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
BUILD YOUR EUROPEAN NETWORK The Public Affairs Conference in Brussels is a great opportunity to interact with Europe’s best-known political analysts and European Union representatives while being updated on the latest developments in terms of lobbying, campaigning and legislative processes.
400
ts ipan artic ered p l a n th natio s ga inter speaker for our ls d e an nts russ in B t 4 eve pas
Who to meet and what to learn 5 years of Quadriga How Brussels Works: A look back and outlook Every year we welcome participants from across Europe who are interested in learning more about the European Union institutions or who’d like to share their knowledge with their fellow peers.
EU Government Official
31%
Governmental Relations/ Public Affairs Director
8%
Director Public Relations
17%
Communications Manager
EU Affairs Manager
25%
Head of Communications
Participants in the 2014 event came from various industries and backgrounds.
s
5 e 201 atur The e fe mm gra
pro
15
s
tion nta e s e re e p ctiv ativ intera ps m o r h info and orks w
10
The information given will change the way in which I do my job.”
9% 10%
COMPANIES THAT PARTICIPATED
EU PUBLIC & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
HOW BRUSSELS WORKS
(Selection)
Coca Cola +++ Audi AG +++ Zurich Insurance +++ Hitachi Ltd +++ Vodafone +++ METRO AG +++ Johnson & Johnson Medical +++ Statoil Hydro +++ Kellogs +++ TATA Consultancy +++ World Health Organisation +++ BASF +++ Le Monde +++ Volkswagen +++ 3M +++ WWF +++ McDonalds +++ The Brewers of Europe
I found the event inspiring, providing significant „food for thought“ and enriching interactions with Public affairs proffessionals.” Caroline Edlund Toulemonde, Merial
+++ JTI +++ European Chemical Industry Council +++ European Broadcasting Union +++ Nutricia +++ European Communities Trade Mark Association
INTERACT WITH PEERS
There were over
110
corporations, government bodies and NGOs represented at the 2014 conference
The Public Affairs Conference brings together EU representatives as well as public affairs and communication professionals. Brussels is the best place to interact with EU experts and address most urgent issues in terms of public affairs.
LEAVE BRUSSELS WITH VALUABLE INSIDER TIPS The goal of the conference is to provide participants with a learning platform that will allow them to better understand the EU processes and help their companies be more efficient in the lobbying process.
LEARN FROM THE BEST
In recent we have been able to gather speakers from Vodafone, Mc Donald’s, Jaguar Land Rover, The European Parliament and many more. We are happy to continue this tradition in 2015 and invite you to learn from their experience.
There we
25
re over
countries represen ted at the How Brussels Works Conferen ce in 201 4
Interesting topics, speakers and participants.” Evert Jan van Lente, AOK-Bundesverband
96%
of all p articipa nts wo recomm uld end the event to a collea gue
Very useful to better know how European Affairs work in theory and especially in practice. Useful for networking as well.”
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L
obbying represents a dilemma for most organisations. On the one hand, organisations should seek to influence government departments or regulators whose actions affect them. On the other, any lobbying-like communications appear suspicious to the media and ultimately the general public. This suspicion makes government nervous over business involvement with government decision-making, which then makes organisations nervous about engaging with government. Gradually, a vicious circle develops where a legitimate corporate activity looks illegitimate. How can organisations negotiate a path through what is either a dangerous threat to organisational reputation if they do lobby, or organisational performance if they do not? And what is the role of the communications director in this discussion?
Public mistrust
Responsible lobbying Lobbying may be the archetypical dirty word, but introducing transparency and promoting its market-making benefits should change perceptions. By Howard Viney and Paul Baines
ly from Exclusive Director cation Communi
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We start with a problem we believe is at the heart of the question: the public’s mistrust of the concept of lobbying. Mistrust derives from the image of the lobbyist as a furtive influence peddler seeking to buy influence with government to protect the interests of a shadowy client. The implication is that public well-being is undermined by lobbying wherein well-resourced organisations use their resources to protect market failure or imperfections in the market. From an economic perspective, lobbying is evidence of ‘rent-seeking’ behaviour which is seen less favourably than ‘market-making’ activity. Market-making increases the sum of well-being in an economy by increasing employment and encouraging growth. Rent-seeking behaviour has the opposite effect and represents exploitation of existing strength to no-one’s benefit except the corporation. Using this line of thought, the lobbying company is clearly a corporate villain. The nail has been further hammered into the coffin of lobbying’s reputation due to its frequent association with the bribery of public officials – an illegal act – or the making of excessive campaign contributions – which is not always illegal. High profile examples have compounded the problem. Many organisations make contributions across the political divide at elections, favouring no one party but seeking to influence all. However this represents one side of the argument. The other side proposes that organisations play a significant role in a
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representative democracy, supporting government in the creation of effective laws and regulation and assuming much of the cost. At the very highest level, organisations can co-create new laws and regulations. This may be looked upon disapprovingly in some quarters, but if a new technology is emerging or new ethical dilemmas are created by a medical development, would tax-payers be willing to pay for government to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver a wholly objective opinion? We suspect not. Co-creation with organisations leading the technological change is frequently a necessity on many levels. Similarly, organisations already play a very important role in the provision of information in developing laws or regulation, offering opinions during the policy development phase of the legislative process. From this perspective, lobbying activity plays an active and positive role in a representative democracy. However, the key question is the self-interest involved in lobbying. The inevitable suspicion is that organisations are only motivated to act when their interests are challenged. But is this necessarily a negative act? Individuals faced with a planned new building project, for example, have a legitimate right to make their voices heard and would feel justifiably aggrieved to have that opportunity denied. Why does this not apply to organisations? We believe it should apply to all organisations, but the challenge is in how that message is communicated and what organisations must do to ensure that the message is credible and legitimate.
The route forward
Organisations often face difficulty in managing ethical dilemmas because they are designed as profit-maximising machines and their managers are incentivised to seek profit maximisation; anything less would be to fail to deliver against their financial responsibilities to their owners. If this is no longer acceptable, politically or socially, organisations need to review their organisational capabilities to live in their new operating environments. However, this does not imply a fundamental review of how organisations conduct their business. Rather, there are a number of small actions for business and for government which offer the potential to create a win-win-win outcome. For business we suggest a change in attitude regarding how organisations talk about
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their engagement with government. We argue for a commitment on the part of organisations towards openness about how and why they interact with government, recognising the inherent self-interest of any such action but also emphasising the positive contribution such dialogue can make to an effectively operating democracy. The argument that an organisation is seeking to advance its commercial interest is not one that ought to be disguised, especially if the motivation is market-making and will have a wider positive outcome. The vast majority of lobbying activity is legitimate and makes an active contribution to a well-functioning representative democracy. Organisations should reflect this reality in their communication strategy. As a sign of good faith, large organisations could take an extra step by appoint-
are taken. We argue that making dealings transparent will break the cycle of cynicism and mistrust. If organisations believe that their interactions with government are legitimate and potentially beneficial to the economy, why hide this? The initial response may be negative, but additional confidence-building activity such as the appointment of a non-executive ethicist may go some way to reducing cynical responses. This does not absolve government of responsibility for establishing clearer and more comprehensive guidelines for relationship engagement. Appropriate regulation will also help address concerns regarding whether organisations are equipped to judge what is, or is not, ethically appropriate behaviour – an issue which our suggestion of having an ethicist on board goes some ways to addressing.
For government, we suggest a much more explicit code of conduct to govern relationships. ing a non-executive director whose sole responsibility is to offer advice on the ethical aspects of any decisions taken by an organisation. The role of the non-executive ethicist would be to act as the conscience of the organisation, tasked with the responsibility to act as devil’s advocate, challenging major decisions to ensure that they can be defended and anticipating public responses to actions so that they may be communicated to stakeholders without fear of reputational damage. The role of being the board’s ethicist might represent a significant change in the background of appointees. Such a role would require a different range of working experience or training to be able to address complex ethical questions in order to improve rather than simply hinder executive decision-making. For government we suggest a much more explicit code of conduct to govern relationships but this code should emphasise the positive rather than the negative and alongside this positive positioning of lobbying, governments should take the opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of enterprise to an effective democracy alongside the rights of organisations to be heard when important decisions
Win-win-win We believe that the outcome of embracing these ideas would be: win – better decisions are taken: government gains access to the information and expertise it would otherwise be unable to obtain or would take too long to develop; win – business can focus upon business: with a greater acceptance of the legitimate strategic option of lobbying organisations can focus upon operating effectively with the reduced risk of reputational damage currently associated with lobbying; and win – society benefits from a more effective democratic process and policies which are transparent and hopefully more efficient. We suggest that there are benefits from recognising that members of the public are able to appreciate the realities of public policy decision making as well as the motivations of organisational action – an improvement in the political discourse and a reduction in the extent of suspicion surrounding the motives of all involved.
Dr Howard Viney Senior Lecturer, Strategic Management Open University Business School, UK Dr Paul Baines Professor, Political Marketing, Cranfield School of Management, UK
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SERVICE LOCATION
Brussels from above
For a conference which deals with Public Affairs there couldn’t have been a better location than Brussels. This year’s conference will be held at The Hotel, which is situated in the heart of Brussels and provides a stunning view over the city. Tel: +32/ 2 504 33 35 E-mail: book@thehotel.be
GETTING AROUND
TAXIS IN BRUSSELS
Brussels is accessible by metro, bus, tram and train. Plan your journey online using Brussels‘ public transportation site: www.stib.be
Autolux: +32 (0)2 411 1221 Taxis Bleus: +32 (0)2 268 0000 Taxis Verts: +32 (0)3 494 949
CONTACT
HOST
How Brussels Works Square de Meeûs 37 B-1000 Brussels Phone: +32 (0) 2 219 2290 Fax: +32 (0) 2 219 2292 conferences.quadriga.eu/ en/publicaffairs Sebastian Lang International Events, Quadriga University sebastian.lang@quadriga.eu
PARTNER Communication Director is the international magazine for public relations and communications. Published quarterly, Communication Director is also the host of the European Excellence Awards. www.communication-director.eu 14
Quadriga University of Applied Sciences Berlin is committed to modern, integrated management training and educates managers in communication and human resources management, as well as public affairs. Through its cross-subject structure, Quadriga offers an education that meets the requirements of management, communications and public affairs. www.en.quadriga.eu/quadriga Quadriga Hochschule Berlin GmbH Werderscher Markt 13 D-10117 Berlin Germany Phone: +49 (0) 30/44 72 94 00 Fax +49 (0) 30/44 72 93 00
CONFERENCES.QUADRIGA.EU / EN / PUBLICAFFAIRS
EU PUBLIC & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1. Discounted Prices Quadriga Akademie Berlin GmbH (hereafter Quadriga) grants discounts on the listed prices of respective conferences for members of the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) and other partner associations. Subscribers to our media partner Communication Director magazine also receive a discount on attendance fees for seminars and symposia. The participant’s personal membership and/or subscription must be presented and verified at the time (s)he makes a booking. All discounted prices are valid only if the amount invoiced is received by Quadriga within the time stated on the invoice. 2. Cancellation Please note that all cancellations should be in written form. If a previous booking is cancelled and no replacement participant can be found, the following cancellation charges will be incurred: • Cancellation 31 days or more before the event takes place: no charge • Cancellation between 14 days and 31 days before the event takes place: 50% of total price • Cancellation less than 14 days before the event takes place: 100% of total price
3. Cancellation and changes Quadriga reserves the right to cancel or to reschedule seminar locations or times, or to arrange a substitute instructor if this is absolutely necessary due to there being less than six participants, an unforeseen problem with the instructor, or other unforeseen reasons which are out of the control of Quadriga. In these cases, Quadriga is not required to compensate travel or accommodation costs, loss of working time, or other damages, and in other cases, only when there is gross negligence. If relocation is not reasonably possible for the participant, then (s)he is entitled to cancel the booking immediately and free of charge. 4. Place of Jurisdiction Berlin. Registration The registration fee includes participation in the programme, all conference documents, and dinner and lunch buffets, as well as coffee breaks. Travel expenses and accommodation are not included. A booking confirmation and an invoice will be sent to you after registration. Please remember to include your name in the reference of the transaction when making a payment. As the number of participants is limited, please be aware that your registration is only valid after receiving a booking confirmation. Please feel free to contact us should you not receive a booking confirmation within 24 hours.
REGISTRATION
EU Public Affairs Conference, March 26/27, 2015
Fax:
+49 (0) 30/44729300
I would like to attend the How Brussels Works conference. I agree with Quadriga Akademie Berlin GmbH Terms and Conditions available on http://conferences.quadriga.eu/en/terms General Admission: Conference Fee 1190 Euro* E arly bird discount: Early bird registration deadline is February 27. Conference Fee 980 Euro* I am an inhouse communications professional and a full member of the European Association of Communication Directors OR I would like to become a full member of the European Association of Communication Directors (annual membership fee, including Communication Director subscription: 140 Euro) and hereby officially apply for membership: Conference Fee 890 Euro*/** pecial fee for lobbyists registered with the European InstiS tutions, professionals working for European organisations and subscribers to partner publications: Conference Fee 890 Euro*
Company Name/surname*** Position Address*** City*** Telephone/fax E-mail***
date/signature*** Alternative billing address
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Register online at: conferences.quadriga.eu/en/ publicaffairs/register CONFERENCES.QUADRIGA.EU / EN / PUBLICAFFAIRS
* Prices do not include VAT; included in the participants fee is access to all parts of the conference programme, as well as to the dinner reception. ** Prices do not include VAT; please see EACD conditions of membership on www. eacd-online.eu. *** Mandatory fields **** For this invoice to be exempt from VAT within the EU, under the principle of EU Directive 2008/8/EC (services to clients within the European Community), a VAT number must be specified. Should no VAT number be sub- mitted, VAT will be charged at the German VAT rate of 19 percent.
Square de Meeûs 37 B-1000 Brussels Phone: +32 (0)2 219 2290 Fax: +32 (0)2 219 2292 conferences.quadriga.eu/en/ publicaffairs
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