In chapter six of 'European Lobbying', entitled 'The New Coalitions', Guéguen says that the "growing paralysis of European associations is finding its cure in a new willingness to go beyond sectoral divisions and create transversal alliances across a chain of values".
Specifically, he cites these new alliances as being:
- Platforms of companies built around a common project as an alternative to classical lobbying via a European association, and;
- transversal alliances going from producer to consumer to present to the Commission a "ready-made consensus".
Platforms, a growing trend in Brussels, are defined as structures in which companies, associations or institutions unite around a common project.
Guéguen goes on to say that in practice the lobbying panorama is much more complex, involving five different types of platforms, defined as:
- Public/private partnership platforms;
- 'shop window' platforms'
- 'counter-balance platforms;
- classic industrial platforms, and;
- platforms created as lobbying tools.
Public/private partnership platforms allow the European Commission the opportunity to promote dialogue with civil society on a given theme - the role of the platform is to unite, exchange, experiment, and disseminate information, not take decisions.
On the other hand transversal lobbying, says Guéguen, represents the emergence of civil society as a means of influence - NGOs, trade unions and consumer groups are becoming ever-more important. It's not about putting pressure on people, Guégen insists, but "helping to find a solution".
