Lobbying in the EU

Abstract

The concept of lobbying is known to have originated during the classical period of Greek civilisation, precisely as a result of democracy. During these days "lobbying" was conducted by those people who had contacts with the decision-makers, with the aim of influencing decision-making to their advantage. Although at the time no sophisticated method or technique were used, success was registered. The term lobbying however did not appear prior to the early years of the nineteenth century. It was derived from the word "lobby" which usually refers to a big hall, a corridor or a waiting room of a hotel. Effectively it was through the "lobbying" activity carried out in the lobby of the Willard Hotel, Washington, that the term was derived. Following a fire which had destroyed the first White House, during the term of President Grant, the whole American administration had to move to this hotel to carry on its duties temporarily from there. Every single morning, the "lobbyists" used to meet the politicians and technocrats in the lobby of the hotel in order to try and convince them to amend or change certain laws or to ask them for favours. Consequently, the whole activity was given the term lobbying, and by 1830 the term lobbying was already in use in Washington DC.