Offices In Brussels Research Articles

News from EFPPA

News from EFPPA

EU public affairs: The growing role of NGOs in the decision making process

This paper was prepared for presentation to the workshop on ‘The Developing EU — Institutional Changes and Enlargement’ at the Fifth International Public Relations Research Symposium, Bled, 10th–12th July, 1998. The paper presents an analysis and description of non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) represented by offices in Brussels in the form of both alliances and groups. It looks at the NGOs' role in EU policy formation, environmental activists, consumers', human and citizens' rights, animal welfare and the implications for public affairs.

The Ecology of Collective Action and Regional Representation in the European Union

The authors examine the emergence of regional information offices representing (subnational) regions of Europe near the administrative headquarters of the European Union in Brussels. Regional offices are viewed as instances of a new form of organization, and as indicating collective action on the basis of regional boundaries. They develop a theoretical model of regional collective action from which they derive a number of hypotheses relating characteristics of a region to the likelihood of regional collective action, as manifested by the opening of an office in Brussels. Logistic regression analyses of the presence or absence of representation for 183 regions yield results largely consistent with the theoretical model. Significant effects on the likelihood of representation are found for the following variables (directions) : absolute size of the region (positive), size relative to the embedding country (negative), percentage of the labour force in industry (positive), share of Structural Funds per capita (negative), labour force diversity (negative), strength of subnational identification (positive), and regional autonomy (positive). The empirical results are interpreted in the context of the theoretical model of regional collective action, and within the broad European historical context

The impact of European economic integration on business associations: The UK case

This article presents the results of new survey research that assesses the routes and activities used by UK business associations in gathering and exchanging information with European institutions. All major UK business associations are covered, ranging from trade and professional associations to associations of the self‐employed and federations. A representative sampling framework allows general conclusions for the whole association sector to be drawn. The chief findings are that there are multiple routes for European activities employed by most associations. The most important route for all categories (except federations) is the national route, using meetings with UK ministers, officials or agencies as an attempt to get them to influence the EU. The second most important route is through European associations (which is the chief route for federations), which are also seen as the most open to influence. A ‘Brussels strategy’ of direct lobbying, or a Brussels office, is the third most important route. It is the main route for 16 per cent of respondents, which is surprising given its costs but demonstrates the increasingly important light in which the European institutions are seen. The use by associations of individual member companies to lobby for them is also surprisingly high (for 10 per cent it is the main route). Association size, resources and sectoral circumstances are shown to be important influences on an association's European strategy.

Regional information offices in brussels and multi‐level governance in the eu: A UK‐German comparison

(1996). Regional information offices in brussels and multi‐level governance in the eu: A UK‐German comparison. Regional & Federal Studies: Vol. 6, The Regional Dimension of the European Union Towards a Third Level in Europe?, pp. 183-203.

Lobbying 'Brussels'

The increase in paradiplomacy the activities of regions below the level of the state in international politics particularly in matters of trade and economic affairs - has been noted by scholars of federal states. This paper draws on this literature to consider the background and debates within the United Kingdom, one of the most centralized states in the European Union, on the setting up of Scotland Europa, a Scot tish lobbying office in Brussels in May 1992. The resurgence of political nationalism in Scotland in the late 1980s coincided with the 'relaunch' of Europe, with the Single European Act and the single European Market providing significant backdrops. Government fears that such an office might be used by its oppo nents to articulate alternative views were voiced in leaked memoranda and these provide important insights into its thinking. In essence, the issue of 'Who speaks for Scotland?' lay at the heart of debates on the nature and functions of the Brussels office. Europe was offering a new battleground in an old war. In particular, difficulties existed between the Scottish Office, representing central government, and the Scottish local authorities. These were ultimately resolved largely due to the skills of the first chief executive of the lobbying office. To date, a limited role has been cut out for Scotland Europa. Conse quently, the fears that paradiplomacy might become protodiplomacy- whereby the international activities of regions no longer parallel those of their central governments but act against them and threaten the integrity of the state - have proved unfounded.

Pritchard off to Brussels.

Phylip Pritchard is leaving his post as European Officer at the RCN to head up the Brussels office of the Federation of European Cancer Nursing Societies from the beginning of February 1995.

The European Business School and its Philosophy

In preparing people for careers in international management, the European Business School (EBS), a private institution with centres in France, West Germany, the UK and Spain, and offices in Brussels and Italy, has evolved a distinct philosophy of management education. Its basic four‐year programme provides study and work experience in three countries and equips the school′s alumni with a minimum of three European business languages. EBS continuously monitors and assesses its students. It develops practical skills and competencies alongside academic learning. It aims to build stamina and is unashamedly a school for leadership and responsibility.

Listening in to Europe

The five UK research councils have set up a joint office in Brussels to help them keep abreast of the EEC's R and D programmes. The office will act as a 'listening post' for advance information on European programmes, will follow the progress of proposals made and provide practical assistance and support for visits to Brussels.

Megaliths galore

The Inventaire des mPgalithes de la France- Rdgion Parisienne is the fourth in the French series which began with Cordier's inventory of Indre-et-Loire (1963) and continued with Gruet's inventory of Maine-et-Loire (1967) and Despride and Leymarios's inventory of Loir-et-Cher (1974). All these have been published as supplements to Gallia Prdhistoireand we are now promised a fifth volume by Jean Clottes on the megaliths of the Lot. The present volume is by far the biggest and most important in the series so far and it deals with the monuments in the present six departments of Paris, Yvelines, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de- Marne, and Val d'Oise, which used to be the departments of Seine and Seine-et-Oise. The author of this inventory is an English civil servant, now in high international office in Brussels, who formerly was in Paris and there spent his week-ends picnicking in megaliths, and what better employment could there be for our international civil servants? As he says, with characteristic modesty, of his Paris days, 'Au commencement vers 1955 ou 1956, la prtparation de cet inventaire servait uniquement de distraction pour mes moments perdus et n'avait aucune prttention. Ce ne fut que beaucoup plus tard qu'il m'a dt6 suggtr6 de le proposer 2 la pr6sente strie. La distraction transformte en devoir, c'est alors que le travail a commencC pour de bon.

Short's SD3‐30 Commuter approved by FAA

DEVELOPMENT of Britain's newest airliner, the 30‐passenger Shorts SD3‐30 passed a further highly significant milestone on June 18, when the American Federal Aviation Authority granted the aircraft its FAA Type Certificate signifying full compliance with their Transport Category Aircraft Requirements. The Type Certificate was passed to the company from the FAA Regional office in Brussels who have been responsible for conducting the certification programme on the aircraft and marks the culmination of the intensive development programme of ground and flight testing involving four aircraft which have accumulated nearly 1000 hours of flying since the prototype first flew in August 1974.

The influence of a gymnastic pause upon recovery following post office work.

The influence of a gymnastic pause and of a passive pause after work was compared in the Post-Cheque Office in Brussels. A group practising some light gymnastic movements and a control group taking a passive rest, each composed of 40 subjects, were examined by a test battery consisting of the flicker fusion frequency test, Wechsler's digit symbol test, a hand dynamometer test, and Piéron's tremor test. The tests were carried out before and after the pause. The results were interpreted to mean that hand steadiness improved, that general fatigue and fatigue of the eyes diminished, that the girls worked faster, and that muscular strength was greater after the gymnastic pause than after the passive pause.

The Treatment of Antarctic Names

HE United States Board on Geographic Names is a competent and well-equipped organization and is able to command the services of high authorities on the regions with which it deals. Consequently, although one may disagree with certain fundamental principles employed, and object to certain of the decisions, in a recent publication of the Board on the geographical names of Antarctica, nobody examining the work closely will deny that the careful sorting and sifting reflected here and the full and reliable notes accompanying each main entry have made this a volume of scholarly comment which no student of can afford to neglect. history of nearly every name listed as a main entry has been traced and recorded. Many difficulties of identification, localization, and repetition have been resolved. Numerous original names have been restored to their proper places. And, in spite of American policy toward sovereignty in the Antarctic, the research has been done with a fair-mindedness and impartiality that are rare in the international relations of our times. For this reason alone it would be a pleasure to be able to recommend the Board's work on Antarctic names to the English-speaking world without reserve. But our friends would, I believe, prefer honest criticism to the concealment of an unfavorable opinon of their underlying principles. The Geographical Names of Antarctica contains I7 pages of introductory matter, a list of expeditions (92 pages), a bibliography (i6 pages), and a list of geographical names (127 pages, listing about I400 entries). introduction explains an elaborate scheme for the giving, checking, revision, and reduction to regular form of geographical names in the Antarctic. bibliography represents the impressive documentary background to the work, and the list of names is the result. form of reference to the reports of expeditions in the bibliography is in some respects faulty; and there is no reference to the International Polar Commission, which had an office in Brussels before the war of I914-1918. This commission published a bibliography by Jean Denuce that was considered at the time to be the best and most comprehensive available.I regional limit set to the Antarctic by the Board on Geographic Names is nowhere clearly explained, but the name (not itself listed) seems always to mean the supposedly continuous mass of land around the South Pole. There are, nevertheless, numerous marine names in the list. As Gribb Bank and Coronation Island are admitted but Banzare Rise and Thule (Morrell Island) are excluded, the limit seems to be 60? S., to the somewhat arbitrary exclusion of Scotia Sea and Drake Passage and inclusion of the South Sandwich Islands, though of no individual island in the group. This limitation seems to account for