The Future of Europe: Lobbying in Brussels Prague, Czech Republic
March 13-21, 2004
The European Spring Institute (ESI- 2004) was a nine- day academic program, designed by the Institute for Integration of the Czech Republic to the EU, to bring together undergraduate and graduate students of various nationalities and academic backgrounds from the USA, Western and Eastern Europe, and other parts of the world to take part in the Institute’ s unique academic and cultural environment. The aim of the program was to provide students with an exciting opportunity to deepen their own expertise by enhancing the knowledge of changing EU politics and by exchanging ideas with academics, the EU policy practitioners and fellow students from different cultural environments. The program combined intensive academic courses with cultural, social, and recreational opportunities.
The first course, "The EU: Today and Tomorrow", conducted by Dr. Miloslav Had, focused on the main aspects of EU integration and addressed historical developments, including the political change, gradual integration and future challenges and prospects facing the European Union after the extensive enlargement of May 1, 2004. The second course, "Practical Aspects of EU Lobbying", conducted by Mr. Patrik Zoltvany, introduced two specific aspects of EU lobbying. The first part dealt with the setting of European Public Affairs. The second part related to the management of a lobbying campaign.
ESI- 2004 Prague: From left to
right: Mr. Patrik Zoltvany, Dr.
Miloslav Had and Vladimir
Bodiansky
We discussed different types of institutions, NGOs, lobbying companies and consultancies that take part in EU policy making. Guest lectures and social events were successfully incorporated into the timetable. Among other activities the most prominent were a visit to Radio Free Europe- Radio Liberty, Mr. Radek Kohl’s lecture on EU- US Transatlantic Relations, meeting with Czech students and a visit to the Czech Senate. However, the academic program’s central purpose was for students to gain an in- depth knowledge of the main developments in the course of changing EU. The courses and guest lectures enabled students to understand the situation of, and within, the European Union just before the historical enlargement mentioned above.
In addition, students themselves discussed the future perspectives of the enlarged EU.
By participating in the ESI- 2004 I have benefited not only from enhancing my intellectual resources through the classes and workshops, but also from sharing personal experience with other fellow students, academic staff and EU policy practitioners. I would like to take this opportunity to thank The Centre for the Study of European Politics and Society for its generous financial and academic assistance, without which I would not have been able to participate in ESI- 2004.