European Union experience (long version)

I have never worked inside the institutions of the European Union but have known them well, watched them develop over 30 years and learned how to influence them as an ordinary citizen and a lobbyist on behalf of many groups, including local and regional government and environmental NGOs.

Young Federalists

From 1978-83 as Secretary-General and then as President of Jeunesse Européenne Fédéraliste (Young European Federalists), I raised funds from the European Commission and from the Council of Europe and organised many international conferences with Commission and European Parliament participation. I doubt that we had a big impact on policy but we did train many people who have gone on to high positions in the European institutions. In one small way, we have affected the daily business of the European Parliament; the parliament’s rules of procedures contain rules copied directly from the standing orders I wrote for the young federalists. See separate posting on federalism.

Regional Policy

From 1990-95 I worked as a lobbyist in Brussels for a variety of organisations. In particular I campaigned on Regional Policy and Environmental Policy. I took over the running of a rather moribund organisation, RETI, representing a network of older industrial regions of Europe, where traditional industries such as coal, steel and ship-building were in terminal decline. I built up the network recruiting new regions in the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany. We put together a campaign to increase EU funding to help these regions convert to new economic activity (Objective 2 funding) and lobbied teh Commission, the Parliament and national governments. As a result, Objective 2 funding was doubled.

Environmental Policy

I then set up the EU office of BirdLife International, a global conservation network whose biggest European member is RSPB. I lobbied successfully for environmental criteria to be included in the management of structural funds. I took on and defeated the French government and Jacques Delors, who wanted to appeal to the votes of French hunters by weakening the Birds Directive which protects migrating birds. The amending legislation finally adopted reflected almost exactly the policy which we advocated and strengthened teh protection of birds during the breeding season. The most difficult campaign was to persuade the European Commission to enforce European law on species and habitat conservation against the wishes of the German government which wanted to build a new motorway through two protected valleys. We managed to save one.

South-East

Back in the UK, from a base at East Sussex County Council, I worked with groups across the South-East to raise the region’s profile in Brussels and attract more funding. Please see separate posting on the South-East.