“Process of interest representation in Brussels: Theoretical frame work and the case of lobbying for Turkey’s accession to EU”

CHAPTER III : Lobbying for Turkey 's Accession to EU

The Structure of Turkish Lobbying : The Actors lobbying for Turkey

An overview of Brussels-based lobby

The presence of interest groups in Brussels and on the political playing field of the European projects dates back to the late 1950s . Of the large European umbrella organizations , the European federations of national associations , most were founded within the first two decades of the European Union , then still the European Economic Community (plus the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Atomic Energy Community , joined

together in the European Community in 1965 . The first to enter the European stage were employers , industry and commerce , and farmers : UNICE (Union of Industrial and Employers ' Confederations of Europe 1958 , CEEP (Centre of Enterprises of General Economic Interest 1961 , Eurochambers (Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry 1958 , and COPA (Committee of Professional Agricultural Organizations 1958 . Some of the interests termed general got off to comparatively early starts with umbrella organizations such as BEUC (European Consumers ' Organization 1962 ) and EEB (European Environmental Bureau 1974 . Interestingly , labor unions did not organize on a European level until 1973 (ETUC - European Trade Union Confederation the inward orientation of the national members that is a main reason for this late start continues to impede effective EU interest representation (Piccinetti , 2009 : 19-20

The actual boom of lobbying in the EU began with the Single European Act (SEA ) in 1986 . The endorsement of single market , the introduction qualified majority voting for most measures...