The practical guide to the eu labyrinth

Book excerpt: The first edition of the Practical Guide to the EU Labyrinth was published in 1991. 32 years and 16 editions later, Daniel Guéguen and Vicky Marissen now offer an updated and adapted edition. The Treaty of Lisbon of 1 December 2009 requires a comprehensive reform of this guide to understand the new procedures, new ways of conduct and new practices of the EU. After reading this guide, enriched with diagrams, examples and summaries, the structures, competences and procedures of the European institutions will no longer hold any secrets for you. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Former Associate Partner of EPPA, Daniel Guéguen has dedicated his whole working life to European public affairs. Daniel set up several businesses specialised in European affairs and after disposing of them in 2012, he founded PACT European Affairs, specialised in the post-Lisbon comitology procedures. Alongside this activity, Daniel Guéguen has published books that have been translated into several languages. Via articles, blogs and tweets widely circulated in international press, he has campaigned for a more operational EU that is closer to citizens. Building upon the educational nature of his books on the EU, Daniel is still today involved in many university programmes, in the USA (Harvard, Georgetown) and across Europe (ULB, Paris Sciences-Po, EDHEC, HEC, INSEAD), and at at the College of Europe in Bruges and Natolin. For his European activities, Daniel Guéguen was in 2005 awarded the rank of “Chevalier” in the order of the Légion d’honneur. Vicky Marissen’s legal background and long-standing experience in European Public Affairs make her the expert capable of assisting companies, trade associations and organisations active in highly regulated sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals and health, helping them close the procedural gap and regain impact on the EU decision-making process. Besides providing legal and procedural input on files and assistance in developing and deploying engagement strategies, Vicky provides support in communicating often technical arguments in an understandable form to different target audiences (public, private, media, etc.).