On 11 and 12 April 2024, the Student Affairs & Professional Development Office hosted a workshop on Lobbying and Advocacy. It was presented by Dr Andreea NĂSTASE, who is distinguished for her expertise in lobby regulation and EU oversight institutions.
About the workshop:
Nowadays, lobbying pervades virtually all aspects of European Union policy-making. The size of the Brussels interest group population is deemed comparable only to that of Washington DC, the so-called “lobbying capital of the world” (DINAN & WESSELIUS 2010). Various watchdog groups and media outlets, as well as the public have all demonstrated increasing interest in and wariness toward the EU lobby. Against this background, this two-day practical course introduced students to the EU interest representation system and the relationship between interest groups and European Union institutions. It conveyed the necessary knowledge and skills to perform on the Brussels lobby scene by offering a detailed and interactive overview of the practicalities of lobbying in the EU. Specifically, students learned through applied role-playing exercises how to build and present lobbying strategies that are fit for purpose in today’s lobbying environment.
About the speaker:
Dr Andreea NĂSTASE is Assistant Professor in European Public Policy at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Maastricht University, where she teaches various subjects in the broad area of European Union politics and governance. In her research, Dr NĂSTASE explores issues of public ethics and integrity in the context of EU governance. Her latest work has focused on lobby professionalization, lobby regulation and watchdog/specialized oversight institutions in the EU. She held visiting positions at James Madison University, Harrisonburg VA, USA (2022-23), at the Quality of Government Institute at Gothenburg University (2019) and at the Leuven Institute of Criminology, KU Leuven (2011-12). She obtained her PhD in Political Science from the Central European University in Budapest.