Moving into the European orbit: Commercial consultants in the European Union

Article abstract:

European integration has attracted numerous interest groups to the European Union, but also many commercial consultancies that work in the realm of public affairs and interest representation. The article offers empirical evidence on this business and aims to answer two questions: which sectoral and national interests are being serviced and how is the business organised in terms of working areas and levels of action? The findings illustrate that the consulting business has a centre of gravity in Brussels and champions economic interests from Anglo-Saxon countries. Beyond that, it has established itself as an accepted European player operating on several levels of action, working for a broader range of sectoral and national clients and maintaining strong working relations with other European actors. I contend that this development is due to the particular goods delivered and to the complex and disjointed structure of European policy-making.