Agrarinis lobizmas Europos Sąjungoje ir Lietuvoje

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama Lietuvos žemdirbių organizacijų lobistinė veikla Lietuvos ir Europos Sąjungos (ES) institucijose. Nustatyta, kad Lietuvos žemdirbių lobistinė veikla turi pliuralizmo ir korporatyvizmo bruožų. Taip pat aprašyta lobistinė veikla Europos Komisijoje (EK), Europos Parlamente (EP) ir Europos Taryboje (ET). Atlikta Lietuvos žemdirbių organizacijų vadovų bei valstybės tarnautojų apklausa apie žemdirbių interesus, žemdirbių lobistinės veiklos metodų efektyvumą, prieigos taškus ir žemdirbių konkurentus vykdant lobistinę veiklą. Taip pat atlikta žemdirbių organizacijų vadovų, valstybės tarnautojų ir politikų atsakymų lyginamoji analizė.

In most cases Lithuanian farmers leaders appeal to Lithuanian government institutions. To European Union institutions Lithuanian farmers appeal through mediators. Those mediators are Lithuanian state officials or European agricultural organisations. Lithuanian farmers rarely appeal to European Union institutions directly. In cases of direct address of EU institutionsLithuanian farmers ask for assistance of the European Parliament members from the Baltic States. Lithuanian farmers lack lobbying abilities. Only 10 percent of Lithuanian farmers participate in activities of agricultural organisations. Lithuanian farmers lobbying methods sometimes are not suitable, for example, Lithuanian farmers insufficiently value influence of press campaigns to European Union institutions decisions. Also Lithuanian farmers hold a faulty opinion that Lithuanian state officials have more influence in Common Agriculture Policy forming than European Union institutions do. Lithuanian farmers did not achieve their main goal - to equalize direct payments to those of Western European countries. Lithuanian farmers` competitors are agricultural organisations from another European countries, and those organisations are more successful in lobbying activities, mostly because they have long lobbying traditions in their own countries. Lithuanian agricultural organisations could form lobbying coalitions with agricultural organisations from another European states, which have the same interests. If Lithuanian farmers use organic farming, they will have support of environment protection organisations and politicians. It will be difficult for Lithuanian farmers to defend their position in European Union institutions without those allies, because Lithuanian agricultural organisations are not widely known in the key institutions. Also Lithuanian agricultural organisations unite a small number of members and small resources.