The participation of non-economic interest groups in the European governance

ABSTRACT: The starting point of this paper on the role of non-economic interest groups in the European governance is the conceptualisation of the European Union (EU) as a multi-level governance to describe the political arena in which interest groups act. The EU is a multi-level governance characterised by overlapping competencies among multiple levels of governments and by the interaction of political actors across those levels. Since the EU is a complex, open and fluid political structure where many actors interact with EU institutions to represent their interests, interest groups are active actors of the European governance. Which are then the traits of the EU interest representation system? Interest representation at EU level, as it has developed in the 1990s, has become rather complex and multi-variegated. The EU interest representation system now includes a variety of actors lobbying EU institutions: European, national and sub-national groups, representing both economic an...