ABSTRACT
The growing importance of the European Union (EU) as a producer of public policy has not gone unnoticed by organised interests. Much like in national political systems, decision-making bodies in the EU attract a multitude of lobbyists seeking access and ultimately influence. Academic interest in lobbying and interest group politics has burgeoned along with the growing awareness on the part of practitioners. The term 'interest group' has competitors that are often used synonymously, such as organised interest, interest organisation, pressure group or advocacy group. The early design for a system of interest representation at the European level followed the mould of national systems of corporatist concertation. The expansion of EU competences, coupled with an increasing institutional differentiation and 'agencification' of EU politics, has created many potential access points for interest groups. The field of lobbying and interest group politics in the European Union is by firmly established and well integrated in the study of public policy more generally.
