Project description
Lobbying's influence on European policy and firm performance
The influence of corporate lobbying on democratic representation and the economy is a growing concern. Despite an abundance of research on the topic in the United States, a dearth of quantitative data hinders our understanding of the extent of corporate influence in Europe. The LOBCON-EU project, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, will explore the impact of lobbying and corporate political connections in Europe. To that end, it will use an integrated theoretical framework adaptable to diverse European contexts. Moreover, it will analyse big data from the new German lobbying register, European Commission meetings with lobbyists, and Danish national registers. Thus, LOBCON-EU will examine how lobbyists’ background and the professional ties between corporations and policymakers impact politics and firm performance in Europe.
Objective
How does corporate lobbying affect democratic representation and economic activity in Europe? Lobbyists play a key role in the democratic process, but tight links between business and politics often raise the question of conflicts of interest and disproportionate corporate influence. Yet, we know little about how corporations influence politics in Europe. Current work focuses on the U.S. due to the availability of high-quality data. In contrast, there is a lack of quantitative research on corporate influence in Europe.
The LOBCON-EU project investigates the impact of lobbying and corporate political connections in Europe. First, the project develops an integrated theoretical framework on corporate political activity applicable to different European contexts. Second, the project uses novel data from the new German lobbying register linked data on the professional background of lobbyists, to answer the question who becomes a lobbyist? Third, the project uses data on lobbying meetings between of the European Commission to answer how do policymaker characteristics affect lobbying? Finally, the project uses linked Danish individual and business register data to study why do individuals transition between the private sector and politics? LOBCON-EU uses big data and state-of-the-art quantitative methods to establish the causal effect of lobbying on politics and firm performance.
The LOBCON-EU project will generate evidence on corporate political activity in Europe and make new data available to researchers and the public. Moreover, the project informs policymakers about potential economic inequalities and welfare losses resulting from lobbying activities. The results will further contribute to ongoing debates among public officials and civil society groups on the creation and reform of lobbying disclosure mechanisms. Finally, by making lobbying and corporate lobbying more transparent, the project also contributes to public trust in the democratic process.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences data science big data
- social sciences political sciences political policies civil society
- social sciences economics and business economics political economy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2000 FREDERIKSBERG
Denmark
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.