Lessons of Brussels Dr Kari Jalas, Director General

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Lessons of BrusselsDr Kari Jalas, Director
General
Eurochambres Summer Academy, June 23-27, 2008
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The Central Chamber of Commerce of Finland 2008
THE CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF FINLAND
LOBBYING Economic and industrial policy, taxation
and legislation
PUBLICFUNCTIONSAND SELF-REGULATORYFUNCTIONS
KESKUS-KAUPPA-KAMARIN PALVELU OY
The European Union
Russia
GS1 FINLAND OY
SUPPORTING THE CHAMBERS
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Lessons of Brussels

1. In professional representation lobbying the
   biggest part of the job is defining the interests
   to be represented, setting objectives. Lobbying
   cannot be successful unless it is based on
   carefully considered aims. These give the
   lobbyist credibility both in the EU system and
   among the members of the organization he
   represents. Winning the war must have priority
   over winning battles. What is important is
   attaining the objective, change there is no
   inherent value in the work itself, which only
   causes costs.

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1. Lobbying can also work in the reverse direction,
   making those being represented aware of the
   reality of EU developments and inevitable future
   changes in their environment. The transformation
   then takes place among the membership, not in the
   EU system.
2. One should never set priorities that conflict
   with the EUs own objectives. By advancing its
   aims, one advances ones own.

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1. Lobbying in the EU should be organized to follow
   the EUs own decision-making process and cover it
   all. It should begin when a measure is being
   divided into political tasks, follow each stage
   of preparation and decision-making and continue
   into the subsequent implementation and follow-up
   phase.
2. The nature of EU institutions varies greatly.
   Methods for influencing them have to be chosen
   accordingly.

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• In contacts with EU officials and
  representatives, the following rules must be
  followed

• Conduct must be extremely polite, correct and
  open.
• One must have a complete grasp of the issue,
  or find other ways of making expert
• advice available to both sides.
• The lobbyists role must be unambiguous. Whom
  he represents and what aim he is
• pursuing must be completely clear to the EU
  side.
• Confidence is built over years but lost in
  seconds.
• Confidentiality must be respected and the
  source of confidential information never
  revealed.
• Each meeting must be of benefit to the EU
  side, too.
• Contacts with the EU side should be kept up
  even when there are no acute problems.
• At occasions he arranges, the lobbyist should
  aim to avoid the presence of several
• people from the same EU institution.
• Information provided should be absolutely
  correct. Sincerity is not a substitute for
• accuracy.
• The regulations of EU institutions on lobbying
  should be observed.

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• The EU side is usually more interested in the
  views of a whole sector than an individual
  company. There are also exceptions. Some
  individuals exhibit a phobia towards
  organizations (compare with CEOism)
• The main thing is not that the lobbyist knows
  important people but that they know the lobbyist
  and trust him.
• To keep a secret in Brussels, two rules must be
  observed
• a) write nothing about it and
• b) say nothing about it.
• Breaking even one ot these changes a secret
  matter into a public one.

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1. Avoid making a noise about lobbying successes, or
   drawing attention to them. At best the lobbyist
   has helped the EU legislative process to make the
   decisions that best support the EUs own
   objectives. The fact that the lobbyists
   objectives have been achieved at the same time
   should be self-evident and left unsaid.
2. Lobbying is a profession. It requires
   professional skills, ingrained acceptance of its
   rules of ethical behaviour and proper political
   pride.
3. Just as people in public relations should not be
   spokesmen but should make it possible for the
   experts to provide information, so a lobbyist
   should not primarily seek to influence matters
   but should create opportunities for influence by
   those in authority.