22Nov 2019 by joost

EU Academy – Gearing up for the German presidency of the Council

The second EU Academy took place in Brussels on 17 and 18 October 2019. Three participants described their EU Academy experience in a blog, available on the EUChanger website. Pre-registration is now open for our next session on 10 and 11 March 2020. Our next EUAcademy will take place in Brussels on 10-11 March 2020. The focus of this two-day interactive training will be on the Council of the European Union in the run up to the German presidency starting on July 1st 2020. We will take participants on a journey through the essentials of EU decision-making and influencing and then dive deeper into the role of the Council and its rotating presidency. The programme of the training will be available in January when we open registrations. [caption id="attachment_778" align="alignleft"…

14Jul 2019 by joost

Highlights from the first EU Academy

Uncategorized

A diverse and eager group attended EUChanger’s first training in Brussels on 21 June. Focussing on influencing for the public good in the post-election context, the first EU Academy attracted 20 participants active in a wide range of policy areas including: climate, energy, international development, corporate governance, sustainable finance, tax, and human rights. It was a packed day with expert input from Vote Watch Europe on the outcome of the May European elections, a dynamic training on EU influencing essentials drawing on the experience of EUChanger’s Marc-Olivier Herman and Better Europe’s Joost Mulder, a lunch debate with advisors of various EP political groups and a group simulation on a current legislative file. The feedback we received from many participants shows just how important this type of training is for those…

30Nov 2018 by joost

Lobbytijd bij toezichthouders en beleidsambtenaren kopen? – FTM

In the media

Public affairs-specialist Joost Mulder maakte de conferenties enkele keren van binnenuit mee. Jarenlang werkte hij voor de financiële lobbywaakhond Finance Watch; in die hoedanigheid kon hij als een van de weinige vertegenwoordigers van publieke organisaties af en toe een kijkje nemen op de bijeenkomsten. "Het is het beste voorbeeld van groepsdenken dat ik ken," vertelt hij op een herfstige namiddag in een Brusselse koffietent. Je moet het zien als een schoolreisje, of als heidagen. Alle ideeën komen in een snelkookpan terecht en aan het eind van de conferentie is iedereen het eens." https://www.ftm.nl/artikelen/eurofil-verkoopt-lobbytijd

31May 2018 by joost

#askalobbyist

In the media, Opinion

Is lobbying a corporate affair? Lobbying and advocacy - is it all the same? What are the strenghts and weaknesses of NGOs, associations and businesses, and what can they learn from each other? (more…)

24Apr 2018 by joost

MEPs: Green finance good, sustainable finance better

News

As the European Commission is finalizing the last set of legislative proposals that can still be completed before the European Parliament elections, MEPs today adopted a non-legislative report in ECON calling for a more ambitious strategy on sustainable finance. MEPs support the criticism that the Commission's Action Plan on Financing Sustainable Growth is too narrowly focused on climate change and should support a wider European agenda on long-term sustainable financing of the European economy. (more…)

31Jan 2018 by joost

HLEG Sustainable Finance – waiting for the Commission’s Action Plan

News, Opinion

Today, the EU High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) on Sustainable Finance published its final report. It's a key step but not the final one - the Commission's Action Plan on sustainable finance, due early March 2018, is where we will see which recommendations will be transformed into EU policy initiatives. The final HLEG report (PDF) published on 31 January 2018 widens the scope of sustainable finance beyond environment and climate change to social issues (although governance issues seem to be left out). (more…)

07Nov 2017 by joost

Cold shower for European Financial Supervision changes

News

Looking at the Presidency briefing, today's ECOFIN discussion on European financial supervision promised to be difficult. It suggested that "Whereas some member states support the proposed reforms, a number of others are critical. In their view, the proposals don't reflect the results of the Commission's public consultation, and are insufficiently justified by its impact assessment. Concerns have also been expressed about the complexity of the proposals, and the additional burden this will place on market players." (more…)

09Jun 2017 by joost

Call for action – someone left the window of opportunity on green finance open

Opinion

Greening the Capital Markets Union This week's European Commission Capital Markets Union Mid-Term Review includes a new "priority action" dedicated to sustainable investment: The Commission will decide by Q1 2018 at the latest on the concrete follow-up that it will give to the recommendations of the High Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance. (more…)

16May 2017 by joost

The future of EBA, ESMA and EIOPA – European Financial Supervision consultation

Consultations

Today is the deadline for responding to the European Commission's public consultation on the operations of the European Supervisory Authorities. The consultation follows up on the earlier review in 2014, when the Commission decided it was too early to make changes to the legal framework of the Authorities, created in 2010. (more…)

02May 2017 by joost

Let’s build a European Financial Consumer Authority in Paris

Consultations, Opinion

Two weeks left to respond to the European Commission's consultation on the revision of the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) for the financial sector. Here is an overview of where the debate stands so far on key issues, based on several debates, conferences and discussions with current and former ESA staffers. (more…)