Lobbying within the European Union: Nordic national energy associations lobbying within the energy sector

Sammanfattning: European integration has increased with the geographical expansion of the EU and this has led to EU policies extending into new areas. As a result, lobbying activities have increased in the last few years. However, influence over policymaking is not divided equally between the different actors in the lobbying sector. In this thesis I will analysis one of these actors: interest groups. These groups are collective voices of actors who share interests and attitudes towards similar policies or areas. Furthermore, they conduct lobbying efforts not only at a EU-level, but also at a national and regional level. The thesis focuses on Nordic energy associations within the energy sector to show how they influence policymakers through the use of different channels, structures, information, and knowledge. The thesis argues that the connection between resources and access to policymakers is not as distinct as presented in earlier literature. By giving empirical examples I will provide instances when the interest groups are successful in their attempts to influence with special reference to the role of coalitions, the gaining of access to influence on multiple levels, publicity and existing national or regional examples within the specific policy area