FOR A PAN-EUROPEAN CERTIFICATION OF A CONSULTANT IN EUROPEAN RELATIONS AND LOBBYING
AALEP is of the opinion that there would be great value for Member States’ National Qualifications Authorities in providing standards and a model for certification of ‘Consultants in European Relations and Lobbying’ inspired by the French example reproduced in English here below.
In every employment arena there are “professionals” and there are simply “job holders.” The establishment of professional standards and certification by National Qualifications Authorities would serve to recognize ‘Consultants in European Relations and Lobbying’ as a legitimate profession throughout Europe. Furthermore, both private and public sector employers will know that such a certified individual has the requisite knowledge, skills and professional background to engage as a Consultant in European relations and Lobbying.
Lobbying is broadly understood as government relations. In other words, a lobbyist’s primary target for action is a public official — legislator, regulator or bureaucrat. However, defining lobbying as only an activity conducted by private sector entities towards public bodies is missing the point. According to the Joint Transparency Register, the EU’s lobbying registry, anyone aiming to influence policy is considered a “lobbyist,” though the register does not use this exact term. By that definition, then, public affairs consultancies, law firms, NGOs, professional and trade associations, representative office of regions, capitals and EU member states, think tanks, religious entities, diplomats, local governments and academics may be considered to be “lobbying.”(although the work may include Regulatory compliance, Corporate or strategic communication, Stakeholder management, Corporate social responsibility, Enabling new business opportunities, Identifying EU funding opportunities.
The French Certification Model
Summary of Job or elements of competence acquired
The Consultant in European relations and lobbying is a specialist of the public/private dialogue whose mission is to ensure effectively the representation of interests and communication with institutional decision-makers in full respect of ethical rules.
Within the framework of his/her activities, this professional :
- undertakes legislative monitoring, listening and anticipates the intentions of political and administrative decision-makers.
- analyses and interprets a complex situation linked to a politico-administrative evolution
- negotiates a common sectoral position : elaborates and implements intervention and communication strategies
- integrates ethical practices in the entire process
- looks for financing of projects.
The practitioner possesses the following competences
Monitoring
- Finding an exhaustive, precise and reliable answer to a question, interpret it and formalise it under a synthesis format.
- Mastering sources of information, use ICT technologies and appreciate threats and opportunities ;
- Identifying ethical dangers of certain practices
Analysis of politico-administrative situations
-Identifying and mapping actors, discerning their motivations and their arguments
- Understanding the stakes by quantifying the economic impacts;
- Identifying and treating the legal framework
Negotiation of a common sectoral position:
- Conceptualizing and piloting an intervention and communication strategy within a given context in favour of the interests of its structure
- Identifying ethical dangers of certain practices
Search of European Financing
- Identifying pertinent financing sources for a precise case
- Building a financing application file
Sector of Activity or Possible Jobs
This job concerns all sectors of industry and services covered by the competences and activities of the European Union. Opportunities are found mostly in business circles as well as in regional development, NGOs and associations. Professionals engage either within a company (in-house), in general large multinational groups or in professional associations or in communication consultancies.
The person is responsible for European relations and lobbying. Practitioners are specialists in public/private dialogue having for mission the representation of interests and communication before institutional decision-makers, in respect of strict ethical rules. The job consists in detecting or anticipating opportunities (competition, legal, social) provided by European policies including the global context for the purpose of developing and conducting actions in favour of the interests represented.
Example of Positions
- Policy Officer
- Consultant to the European Commission
- European Analyst
- Manager European Policies
- Director of Institutional Relations
- Chargé of Institutional Communication
- Consultant in European Lobbying
- Consultant in Public Affairs
Description of the Certification Components
Legislative monitoring, listening and anticipating the intentions of political and administrative decision-makers.
- Present to an enterprise or an organisation a proposal for intervention as a result of a specific monitoring.
- Exhaustive, precise and reliable review of the situation linked to current events
- Presentation of the results of this information research
- In parallel, undertake a personal inquiry on ethical underlying issues
Analysis of politico-administrative situations
- Analysing a real lobbying case
Negotiation of a common sectoral position:
- Undertake a critical inquiry on a real case, resulting in the drafting of communiqués and amendments to legislative texts.
- Negotiation role-plays
Search of Financing
-Build an application for answering a tender
National Qualifications Authorties in the EU
- Austria: Austrian agency for international cooperation in education and research (Österreichischer Austauschdienst)
- Belgium (Flanders): Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Training, AKOV (Agentschap voor Kwaliteitszorg in Onderwijs en Vorming)
- Belgium (Wallonia): Service francophone des métiers et des qualifications, SFMQ)
- Bulgaria: The International and European Cooperation Directorate at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science)
- Croatia: Directorate for International Cooperation and European Integration at the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.
- Cyprus: Ministry of Education and Culture.
- Czech Republic: National Institute for Education (NUV)
- Denmark: Danish Agency for Higher Education
- Finland: Finnish National Board of Education
- France: National Committee on Vocational Qualifications (CNCP)
- Germany: Deutscher Qualifikationsrahmen, DQR).
- Greece : EOPPEP
- Hungary: : Hungarian Educational Authority
- Ireland: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
- Italy: Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Policies
- Latvia: Academic Information Centre, the Latvian
- Lithuania: The Qualifications and VET Development Centre (QVETDC
- Luxembourg: The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (Ministère de l’Education nationale et de la Formation professionnelle)
- Malta : National Commission for Further and Higher Education
- Netherlands: CINOP/Knowledge Centre for Recognition of Prior Learning
- Poland: Bureau for Academic Recognition and International Exchange
- Portugal: National Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education and Training
- Romania: Autoritatea Nationala pentru Calificari (ANC) – National Authority for Qualifications
- Slovakia: State Institute of Vocational education and training – Štátneho inštitútu odborného vzdelávania (ŠIOV)National system of qualifications (Tvorba Národnej sústavy kvalifikácií)
- Slovenia: Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training
- Spain: Ministry of Education- The Directorate General for Vocational Training
- Sweden: Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education
- United Kingdom: Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) The Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment Northern Ireland
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