consumer organisations working together november 2007 the european consumers organisation bureau...
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Consumer organisations
working together
November 2007
The European Consumers Organisation Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs
Avenue de Tervueren, 36 -1040 Bruxelles Tel: 0032 2 743 15 90 - Fax: 0032 2 740 28 02
Email: [email protected] www.beuc.org
Representing consumer interests towards the EU institutions since 1962
40 members from 29 countries
Funded by members and European Commission
34 members of staff
BEUC
How we work together
The areas we work in: food, environment, safety, health, economic, legal
Circulate information to members through dedicated website
Expert groups
Expert meetings on priority areas
Collect research and data from members for position papers, brochures and press contacts
Information from new member states and accession countries is very important
Agree joint lobby and communication strategies: BEUC acts at EU level in Brussels, BEUC members at national level
BEUC Structure
The General Assembly is composed of 40 members from 29 European countries from EU and EEA. The GA determines general BEUC policy & priorities
The Executive includes our members from Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and United Kingdom. The Executive agrees how to implement the general policy
Altroconsumo (Italy)
Sveriges Konsumentråd – SK (Sweden)
Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios – OCU (Spain)
Polish Consumer Federation National Council (Poland)
Forbrugerradet (Denmark)
VZBV (Germany)
Which? (UK)
Consumentenbond (NL)
Test Achats (Belgium)
UFC - Que Choisir (France)
National Association for
Consumer Protection in
Hungary - NACPH
Sdruzeni obrany spotrebitelu
Ceske republiky (Czech
Republic)
Zveza Potrošnikov Slovenije
– ZPS (Slovenia)
Some key members
Membership criteria independence: non-governmental, not profit making,
independent of industry, trade unions, political parties and government
representative: working at national, regional and local level and across the broad range of consumer policy issues
active in: representation of consumer interests towards the government and other political decision-making bodies; consumer policy work and campaigning; representation of consumer interests in mass media; consumer information …
democratic: in structures and procedures
What BEUC does
lobbying & media relations
market surveillance
training & capacity building
strengthening awareness of availability of independent information to enable informed choices
addressing the demand for product testing
publications: annual report, memorandum for the Presidencies, brochures
85% of the legislation affecting consumers is decided at European level
Brussels has the largest Press Corps in the world
15.000 different organisations trying to influencethe process
1 consumer representative for every 100 businessrepresentatives
Why Brussels is so important
EUROPEAN COMMISSIONproposes, manages, regulates
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTcomments, amends, decides
COUNCIL OF MINISTERSnegotiates, decides
MEMBER STATEimplements
EUROPEAN COURTadjudicates
ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL COMMITTEErepresents economic
and social groups
COMMITTEE OF
THE REGIONSrepresents local
governments
EUROPEAN COUNCILsets the agenda
The Institutions
conciliation
College of Commissioners adopts proposal
Consultation of other DGs
Commission prepares proposal
1st reading
2nd readingEP Plenary
EP Committees
European Parliament
Common position
Working groups
Council of Ministers
European ParliamentCouncil of Ministers
Law
TIMING IS KEY
Council of Ministers European Parliament
Council of Ministers
1st reading
2nd reading
BEUC Priorities
Roaming
Consumer Credit
conciliation
Nutritional labelling
Single Payment Area
Review of the consumer acquis
TWF
Consumer policy strategy
Key Commissioners for Consumers
Neelie KroesCompetition
Markos KyprianouHealth
Stavros DimasEnvironment
Charlie McCreevyInternal Marketand Services
Jacques BarrotTransport
Meglena KunevaConsumer policy
European Commission
College of 27 Commissioners – one per country
Each of Directorate Generals and services works to Commissioner
Commissioners served by cabinet or private office
Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for
Health and Consumer Affairs (SANCO):
Robert Madelin
Consumer programme and strategy for 2007- 2013
A high level of consumer protection
Effective enforcement of consumer protection rules
Integration of consumer policy in other policy areas
Needs of consumer organisations in new member states, especially training
Desk officers
Directors, Directors General
Cabinet or responsible portfolio Commissioner
Other cabinets
Other Commission services
Allies
The European Commission: who to lobby
How best to approach the European Commission
Research data & facts from as many members as possible - European view
Know opponent’s case and provide counter arguments
Follow and influence the internal negotiating process within the Commission
How best to approach the European Commission
Build up relationship with desk-officer, maybe invite for visit and keep in regular contact
Well documented/written and creatively presented position papers
Articles in key media, at crucial times- before College of Commissioners meeting on Wednesdays
Council of Ministers of the European Union
Member states represented by ministers
Co-decision with the European Parliament
Six month rotating Presidency, but troïka
approach (Portugal since July 2007)
Closed working procedures
Key Councils for Consumers
Competitiveness Council - Consumer Credit
Employment, Social Affairs, Consumer Affairs Council - Consumer Policy Strategy
Agriculture and Fisheries Council - GMOs, CAP
Environment Council - Chemicals
Transport Council - Denied boarding, Passenger rights
The fact that consumer issues come up in a lot of Councils makes it more difficult for us to influence the process
The Council
The Presidency rotates every six months
Ministersof the Member States
Permanent Representatives Committee(COREPER)
Council Working Groups
Comité des représentants permanents prepares the agenda for the Council meetings
Number of votes by Member State
29 29 29 29
27 27
1413
12 12 12 12 12
10 10 10
7 7 7 7 7
4 4 4 4 43
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
GERMANY FRANCE UNITED KINGDOM ITALY SPAIN POLAND
ROMANIA NETHERLANDS GREECE PORTUGAL BELGIUM CZECH REPUBLIC
HUNGARY SWEDEN AUSTRIA BULGARIA DANMARK SLOVAKIA
FINLAND IRELAND LITHUANIA LATVIA SLOVENIA ESTONIA
CYPRUS LUXEMBOURG MALTA
345 votes in total. To reach a qualified majority 255 votes are required.
For rejection, 90 votes against, at least, are required.
Council Working Groups
- Member State Officials- Attachés
27 Delegationscomposed of
Tour de table= 135 minutes
How best to approach the Council
At an early stage with research data & facts from the national perspective
Build up relationship with Ministry officials, maybe invite for visit and keep in regular contact
Well presented position papers- linked to the legislative context
European Parliament: Seats per country
Number of seats by country
99
78
78
54
54
35
2724
242424241918181414
1413
1397
6665
78
Germany
France
Italy
United Kindgom
Spain
Poland
Romania
Netherlands
Greece
Czech Republic
Belgium
Hungary
Portugal
Sw eden
Austria
Bulgaria
Slovakia
Denmark
Finland
Ireland
Lithuania
Latvia
Slovenia
Cyprus
Estonia
Luxembourg
Malta
785 Members
European Parliament 2004-2009
277
218
106
44
42
4123 2014 EPP- ED
PES
ALDE
EUL- NGL
Greens- ALE
UEN
IND/DEM
ITS
NI
European Parliament
Plenary session meets in Strasbourg20 Committees usually meet in Brussels
Key powers Approves nominee for Commission President Approves candidate Commissioners- therefore
hearings Approves Commission work programme Adopts EU budget Amends Commission Proposals for legislation Limited right of initiative But not much power regarding the CAP, foreign
policy or tax NGOs can make use of possibility of Urgency
debates
National delegations
0
10
20
30
40
50
Germany United Kingdom Italy Spain France Poland
Czech Republic Hungary Greece Portugal Romania Slovakia
Netherlands Austria Belgium Sweden Ireland Bulgaria
Finland Slovenia Cyprus Latvia Luxembourg Lithuania
Malta Denmark Estonia
EPP (European Peoples Party) – 2004-2009
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
France Spain Germany United Kingdom Italy
Romania Portugal Poland Hungary Greece
Netherlands Belgium Bulgaria Austria Sweden
Denmark Slovakia Malta Finland Estonia
Lithuania Czech Republic Slovenia Luxembourg Ireland
National delegationsPES (European Socialist Party) –
2004-2009
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Italy United Kingdom France Romania Bulgaria Germany
Lithuania Belgium Finland Netherlands Poland Denmark
Sweden Estonia Hungary Slovenia Spain Austria
Cyprus Ireland Latvia Luxembourg
National delegationsALDE (European Liberal Democrats)
– 2004-2009
National delegationsGreens – 2004-2009
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Germany France United Kingdom Netherlands Spain
Austria Belgium Italy Denmark Finland
Latvia Luxembourg Sweden
Key moments/targets for lobbying
Before Committee vote
Before Plenary vote
Most impact during 1st reading, less during 2nd reading
2 key Committees for consumer issues:
Environment, public health and food safety
Chairman: Miroslav OUZKY (EPP, CZ)
Internal Market and consumer protection
Chairman: Arlene McCARTHY (PES, UK)
How the EP works
Lead Committee appoints a rapporteur to draft an opinion on a Commission proposal
Each political group represented in the Committee appoints a shadow rapporteur to co-ordinate their group’s amendments to the Commission proposal
Other relevant Committees can also prepare opinions to the Commission proposal; they in turn appoint rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs
Opinion-providing Committee amendments are adopted by the lead Committee
Committee political group leaders - ‘co-ordinators’ - are key targets to lobby
The Consumer and Health Intergroup
An informal group including MEPs from all parties, and all Committees in the European Parliament
Supported by three political groups: EPP, PES, Greens
Co-chairs: Pilar Ayuso (EPP, Spain) and Beatrice Patrie (PES, France)
Meet in Strasbourg during plenary sessions
Discuss key consumer issues on European Parliament agenda
With speakers from the Commission, Council, business, consumer groups
Meet and maintain contacts with national MEPs
One meeting is not enough, regular (2/more times a year) briefing sessions in your offices will be appreciated
Important to communicate the same messages at national and EU level creatively, factually & in a way that’s easy to understand
Letters to national MEPs
Invite them to events you are organising; try to get media coverage
Use the national press to get messages to national MEPs
How consumer organisations lobby MEPs