MACEDONIAN LOBBYING CENTRE

The Macedonian Lobbying Centre is part of the Macedonian Science Society. It is based in Bitola, a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia in the region called Pelagonia. The Lobbying Centre is presided by Mr. Marjan Tanusevkski.

The Centre offers lobbying as an accredited subject, as part of higher education curricula, teaching to students so they will know how to lobby and respect the regulations in the process. Students are taught how to lobby in a transparent manner as well as how to become professional lobbyists some day.

Despite weaknesses in the Law on Lobbying that was adopted by Macedonia back in 2008, such as a lack of clear legal distinction between for-profit and non-profit lobbying activities respectively, or commercial lobbying and lobbying for public interest, the most important thing according to Mr. Marjan Tanusevkski is that lobbying is being discussed, analyzed and criticized.

Most recently in February 2013 under a grant contract between the European Union and Pelagonija-Preda Region, as part of the Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, the Lobbying Centre organized a seminar entitled 'Lobbying and participation of civil society in developing and implementing public policies in Pelagonija Region-Building a Dialogue' with the help of outside consultants whose work included:

1. Research- Analysis of the current implementation on the Law on Lobbying, in the Republic of Macdeonia;
2. Research- Analysis of the level of participation of the civil society sector in the development of public policies in Pelagonija region; and
3. Preparation of the content of the 'Manual for Lobbying'