In an increasingly demanding and competitive world it is critical for business to understand and engage with both elected representatives and public officials in order to have effective input into shaping the regulatory environment in which private enterprises operate. Making the most of opportunities that stem from government policy, legislation, and regulation requires a comprehensive, proactive strategy. Well-informed and pro-active business leaders are the most effective advocates for steering their enterprise through the fast changing terrain of public policy development.

Civilized lobbying for Russians means any activity that excludes corruption. The Russian Economic News Agency Nezavisimaya Gazeta publishes regular surveys of the country’s most influential lobbyists.

Just now, almost anywhere with sand, surf, and sun is wildly overcrowded, overpolluted, and overpriced. After all, almost 80 million Europeans are on August vacation.

No wonder Europe is having a hard time competing with the rest of the world.  Working less and producing less surely must have something to do with Europe’s economic plight and the sad news that about 25 million Europeans now are more or less permanently on vacation.

Here below is the List of the Average Annual Hours actually worked per worker in the EU (OECD- 2012)

Global competence refers to the acquisition of in-depth knowledge and understanding of international issues, an appreciation of and ability to work with people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, proficiency in a foreign language, and skills to function productively in an interdependent world community. For some individuals , all or most of these characteristics are ones that he/she will find ways to develop even if the resources are lacking. For others, they must be convinced of the need to develop global competence.

The Association of Accredited Public Policy Advocates to the European Union (AALEP) is launching an outreach initiative intended to expand its international membership and bring more Public Policy Advocates (including lobbyists, public affairs and government affairs professionals, communications and media experts etc.) into the fold. The aim is to promote AALEP around the world and further global competence in Public Policy Advocacy.

Foreign countries may spend money in advocacy at the EU level because they want to react or respond to situations in Brussels. For example when the mood in Brussels becomes highly critical of a certain country, the country may feel that Brussels needs to be better informed of the facts or it may feel that the EU needs to be led to view the issue from a different angle (a case of reaction). Of course, alternatively, it may feel that there is little it can do about it (a case of non-reaction).

With increasingly huge sums in play, whether in terms merchandising, sponsorship, betting or athlete salaries, the seduction of and vulnerability to corrupt behaviour has grown. The sport world has responded slowly and, to date, inadequately. It is as serious a threat as doping; only it has the potential to inflict much greater damage on the sport world and the communities, representing billions of people globally, that support it.

The Treaty of Lisbon made sport a European Union area of competency, in which it can support, coordinate and complement the actions of the Member States. By promoting sustainable, smart and inclusive growth, and job creation, sport also contributes to the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy. Furthermore, it has a positive effect on social inclusion, education, training, public health and active ageing.

National associations in all member states understand that effective influence requires stronger 'lobbying' of EU institutions. Despite challenges, national associations have managed to adapt to European integration in most areas. They have done so through the development of various European resources: opening European offices (e.g. German national associations come first), creating EU affairs management structure, sometimes even buying the services of Brussels-based lobby firms.

The name Gibraltar is the Spanish derivation of the Arabic name of Jabal- Al Taric, meaning the "mountain of Taric". Gibraltar joined the European Union on 1 January 1973 at the time of the United Kingdom’s accession to the European economic community. It did so under an article of the treaty of Rome, now contained in identical form in the treaty on the functioning of the EU, which applies to “European territories for whose external relations a member state is responsible”.