Polish Interest Groups in Policy-Making in the European Union

Expanding regulation and access opportunities within individual EU institutions and other governmental authorities promotes a variety of forms, means of communication and exchange of views, which are fundamental for interest groups activity including polish interest groups. There are wide divergences in access to the policy-making process for different interest groups, which influences the efficiency and effectiveness of actions taken by polish groups. Indeed, business influence is dynamic and often depends on the consultation processes at the EU and at other governing institutions. The degree of balance among polish interest groups and others interests groups in regard to access to particular institutions is also dependent on the economic, financial, legal and social context of policy-making. Polish interest groups participate in a range of policy-making arenas within the EU and other governing bodies at the local, regional and global levels of politics. The overarching goal of the paper is to analyze the respective access to, and influence of, a range of different types of polish interest groups in public policy-making. In particular, the paper explores unevenness in the influence of particular types of polish interest groups in policy-making processes in the EU. The paper will discuss the actions taken by different type of polish interests groups that affect the lives of citizens via various public policies. It seeks to study the influence of these groups in relation to their lobbying and campaign strategies, the characteristics of the institutions they target, and the type of regulation they seek.