UCL Uncovering Politics

Business Lobbying in the EU

Episode Summary

In this episode we look at the relationship between the European Union and business. Too close? Too distant? Or are things maybe a bit more complex?

Episode Notes

How the European Union relates to the world of business has long been a matter of great contention. Scepticism towards the EU on the right of politics has for decades been fuelled by the perception that Brussels is a bureaucratic regulation generator, with little understanding of how business operates. On the Eurosceptic left, by contrast, the EU has been seen as a capitalist club, in hock to big business, incapable of seeing the interests of ordinary people.

How has the relationship between business and the EU evolved over time? How does it vary from sector to sector? And what does it all mean for policy outcomes? A new book sheds much fresh light. Called Business Lobbying in the European Union, the book is co-authored by UCL’s very own David Coen, along with Alexander Katsaitis from the London School of Economics and Matia Vannoni from King's College London. 

Host: Dr Alan Renwick

Professor David Coen

Business Lobbying in the European Union