Profiling the EU lobby organizations in Banking and Finance

Area of Science:

• Political Science
• Computational Social Science
• Information Science

Background:

• The European Commission's 'Better Regulation Agenda' requires understanding policy actors.
• Lobbying organizations significantly influence policy development, particularly in finance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the leanings of European lobby organizations.
• To analyze lobbying activities within the Banking and Finance sector.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Transparency Register and public consultations.
• Applied network analysis, clustering, and text mining to lobby organization data.
• Developed profiles based on consultation responses and self-declared interests.

Main Results:

• Clustering revealed distinct interest groups among lobbying organizations.
• Consultation responses were identified as key indicators of lobbyist leanings.
• A novel approach to mapping lobbyist influence through response analysis was established.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a foundational understanding of lobby organization engagement in policy-making.
• The developed profiles offer insights into lobbying strategies and influence.
• This methodology can inform policy-makers and stakeholders in the 'Better Regulation Agenda'.