Kenneth Aitchison’s presentation on lobbying in the Political Strategies for the EAA? session at the European Association of Archaeologists‘ annual conference in Glasgow is now online.
Lobbying is not a well understood phrase. It is often vaguely and loosely understood as an easy buzzword that will somehow magically allow you to make friends and influence people.
But in terms of lobbying the European Union – and that can mean the Council of the European Union, the European Commission or the European Parliament – it is a very precisely defined concept, with only very specific individuals, working for very specific organisations, using predefined methodologies to present influential cases to in defined ways to very specific recipients and only at very specific times in decision-making cycles. And if the right routes aren’t followed, no matter how well-meaning intentions might be, they simply have no chance of influencing policy or legislation.
From the perspective of a registered Lobbyist to the European Union – a signatory of the “Transparency Register” – this paper will present some thoughts on how EAA could, if it was so minded, follow the right lines to make a difference at the heart of Europe.
Download Signing the Transparency Register.
