LAHUSEN, Christian <br/><br/>
Commercial consultancies in the European Union :  the shape and structure of professional interest intermediation 

 -  October 2002 
<br/><br/> Commercial consultancies inthe realm of public affairs and interest intermediation have become an important player within the European Union. This paper presents findings from a survey of commercial interest intermediation. It illustrates that the business has grown and established itself gradually as an accepted and legitimate route of monitoring and influencing European policy-making. Moreover, we perceive that a certain integration and concentration of the business is under way at the European and global level. It is argued that these developments have an impact on European interest intermediation, first, because this business makes public affairs and interest intermediation more systematic, plural and competitive, and second, because the business serves as an interface between European and global, interanal and external affairs 
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Topical Terms: </label><br/>Consultants<br/>Integration<br/>Interest Intermediation<br/>Lobbying<br/>Public Affairs