ICPE Seminar on Lobbying and Negotiations with the EU

The ICPE is organizing a 2-day intensive seminar in Ljubljana and 1-day networking visit in Brussels entitled:

Lobbying and Negotiations with the European Union

To be held from 6th to 8th April 2010

Senior government officials from third countries (particularly from foreign affairs, trade and industry), and top managers of public companies trading with EU, need to know how to deal with the EU to protect their interests. Therefore a deeper understanding of real decision making processes, including the role of comitology, as well as the characteristics of interest representation and lobbying in Brussels are indispensable.

The intensive 2-day seminar at the ICPE in Ljubljana will cover the following topics:

- EU as a Global Economic Player – Strategy for the Decade 2010-2020

- Institutional Setup in the Light of the Newly Implemented Lisbon Treaty

- Modus Operandi of Brussels Lobbyists

- How to Negotiate with EU Representatives: Main Doctrines and Practical Tips

- The Lobbying Landscape in Brussels

The seminar will be followed up with an optional 1-day extendable field visit to Brussels, where participants will come into direct contact with relevant officials at the European Commission and the European Parliament and network with senior officials, MPs and some of EU’s most reputed lobbyists. The visit to Brussels will include:

- Meetings at the European Commission

- Workshop on EU Policies and Cooperation with BRIC Countries

- Workshop on Comitology Reform and its Implications for Lobbyists

- Meetings at the European Parliament

The programme of this intensive 2-day seminar will take 3 ½ hours in the morning and 2 ½ hours net in the afternoon, with 1 ½ hour for lunch, which will also be partly used for discussions with guest speakers. All presentations will be accompanied with Power Point slides. The seminar is designed to be as interactive as possible, and comments & questions by participants will be encouraged.

Seminar leader will be prof.Boris Cizelj, first Slovenian Ambassador to EU and NATO (1993-1998), and since 1999 head of the Slovenian Business & Research Association, SBRA in Brussels (a publicprivate partnership representing interests of Slovenian business, RTD, and major cities). Since 2006 prof.Cizelj is the Dean of DOBA Business School, Maribor, where he is lecturing business lobbying in EU. He is also lecturing at other universities, as well as at European Training Institute in Brussels.

Registration deadline: 17 March 2010. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information or to register.

Lobbying in the EU