Lobbying in the European Union. A model for Romania?
Lobbying in the European Union. A model for Romania?

Summary/Abstract: Citizens' engagement in public decision-making is one of the pillars of any democracy. Therefore, the tendency of private actors to participate in the policy-making process can be seen as a natural consequence of a democratic society. As society's needs and desires have diversified more and more, lobbying has also increased - phenomenon that is generically perceived as an attempt to influence decision-making within a legal framework. However, lobbying is not a new concept in the public arena. In fact, its existence dates back as far as the mid-17th century, when British citizens gathered in the halls of Parliament to try to persuade their representatives to adopt various positions. In the European institutions,lobbying is also referred to as interest representation and plays a central role in the decision-making process. Thus, one can even speak of a“European model of lobbying” undertaken at the level of the EU institutions. In Romania, lobbying regulation is becoming increasingly relevant, with numerous failed legislative attempts (the latest one taking place in 2022). Thus, this paper aims to identify specific elements of European lobbying that could be successfully transposed into the Romanian public system. In this respect, we aim to analyses how lobbying is carried out at the level of the European institutions, to determine its effectiveness in the Romanian public system and, last but not least, to identify the perception of Romanian citizens on lobbying. In order to determine the perception ofl obbying, a

• Details
• Contents