Role of Organized Interests in Shaping Croatia's Negotiating Positions in the Council of the EU

Six years after the country's accession to the EU, there are still no analysis of the role of interest groups in developing Croatian government's negotiating positions in the Council of the EU. Which organized interests have access and get involved in decision-making on government's positions in the Council, which strategies they apply in trying to influence government representatives in the Council – remains largely under researched. Based on interviews with representatives of relevant government bodies, organized civil society and businesses, this article aims to shed light on the still largely opaque dynamics of relations between interest groups and government representatives at different stages of the decision-making in the Council of the EU, including during the trialogues. At the time when Croatia is taking over the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the first time, the purpose of the article is to provide contribution to better understanding of the access of Croatian non-state actors to the Council of the EU and explore prospects of strengthening principles of participatory governance, inclusiveness and transparency in shaping national positions in this traditionally most secretive part of the EU institutional architecture.