The vision of GEOLAND is to establish a learning path for the Higher Education students and their professors so that they are able to apply their geospatial analysis knowledge in in decision-making for landscape management, planning and protection of NATURA 2000 sites across Europe. GEOLAND provides the opportunity to students, citizens and stakeholders to become interested in the definition and implementation of landscape policies and to play an active part in setting sustainability indicators of desirable landscape quality objectives (Landscape Quality Objectives/LQO). This is a ;policy briefing on Europe, the Paliament, European Commission and Council of Europe

1. GEOLAND
A learning path
for HE students and professors
Policy briefing

2. Influencing European Policy
This presentation is a brief guide to opportunities for impacting
on policy. It introduces:
Policy Making in Europe
Engaging with the European Union
European Parliament liaison
Connecting with the European Commission, Citizen initiatives
Getting research into policy
The Council of Europe

3. EU Institutions and Policy Making
Policymaking involves developing plans that are put in
place through legislation, creating a regulatory system
Policymaking in the EU takes place across four EU
institutions:
• European Commission;
• European Parliament;
• Council; and
• European Court of Justice

4. EU Institutions and Policy Making
Member States have different opportunities to feed into the
policymaking process through
• their representation in the European Parliament (elected
members) and
• the Council (representatives of national governments)
The role of the European Commission is to identify where
policy development may be needed, or where existing
legislation requires review
Many factors drive policy development including social need
and technological progress

5. Engaging with the European Union
If you want to impact on policy engaging with the EU can be very
effective.
• The European Commission is a civil service agency for the EU
• They work with academics and draw on academic research
• They presenting findings to policymakers and decision-takers
• There are well-established links between the EU and research
institutions.

6. Engaging with the European Union
The EU deals with policy issues that affect all 28 member states, not
individual countries
Connect with the EU if your research has high-level implications
EU policy also relates to specific regions
Engaging with EU officials can be useful if research has regional impact

7. Engaging with the European Union
Guidelines
• The challenge is to find what you need amidst a huge volume of
information.
• Whether you want to engage with your MEP or the Commission, your
first point of call should be the national office in your country
• The European Parliament has liaison offices in each member country
https://liaison-offices.europarl.europa.eu/en/offices

8. European
Parliament
liaison offices
https://liaison-
offices.europarl.europa.eu/en
/offices

9. Engaging with the European Parliament
Guidelines
• Members of the European
Parliament (MEPs) table
questions, raise debates,
and petition other MEPs, a
Committee ot Intergroup
over an issue

10. Engaging with the European Parliament
Guidelines
• Parliamentary Committees
consider specific areas and
issues
• Committee list:
https://www.europarl.eur
opa.eu/committees/en/ho
me/

11. Engaging with the European Parliament
Guidelines
• Parliamentary Intergroups
are informal, cross-
parliamentary groups of
MEPs who share an
interest in a particular
issue
• List of Intergroups
https://www.europarl.eur
opa.eu/meps/en/about/gr
oupings

12. Engaging with the European Parliament
Guidelines
• The European
Parliament is a good
route for lobbying or
raising awareness at a
European legislative
level

13. Engaging with the European Commission
Most important policy development happens within the European
Commission
It seeks to undertake consensus-building on policies put forward by the
European Commission, under the direction of the European Council
List of departments https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-
commission/departments-and-executive-agencies_en

14. Engaging with the European Commission
Guidelines
• developing a relationship with the relevant European Commissioner
and Directorate-General is most effective route
• Communicate with the Commissioner (or their advisors) responsible
for the most relevant Directorate-General
• EC national representations may be able to help you arrange
introductory meetings
• it’s worth knowing where staff from your country are working in the
Commission. List of national representations https://commission.europa.eu/about-european
commission/contact/representations-member-states_en

15. European Citizens Initiative
• The European Citizens' Initiative allows EU citizens to take part
directly in developing EU policies
• See how it works and the seven steps to take https://citizens-
initiative.europa.eu/how-it-works_en
https://europa.eu/citizens-initiative/_en

16. European Citizens Initiative
• Once an initiative reaches 1 million signatures, the Commission
decides on what action to take over the issue
• If you consider starting an initiative, consult the ECI Forum for legal
and practical advice
https://europa.eu/citizens-initiative/_en
https://citizens-initiative-forum.europa.eu/_en

17. European Commission Experts
• You can register to become an expert for the European
Commission
• Commission consultations are engaged at the beginning of the
EU legislation process
• It allows all interested stakeholders to provide expertise or
submit their opinion on a particular topic or policy process
• European roadmaps set out ideas for new laws and policies,
or for evaluations of existing ones
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives_en

18. Getting your research
into the European
Parliament
https://authorservices.t
aylorandfrancis.com/re
search-impact/getting-
research-into-
european-parliament/#

20. Further Information
• Eurocities: there is no Europe without citizens
https://citizens.eurocities.eu
• Have Your Say – public consultations
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-
say_en
• Find your MEP
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/home
• Panel for the Future of Science and Technology
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/stoa/en/home/highlights
• European Science-Media Hub https://sciencemediahub.eu/
• Science for Policy newsletter

21. Council of Europe
• Headquartered in Strasbourg, France
• International organisation with 49 member states
• Aims at advancing human rights, democracy, and the rule of
law
• The Council of Europe created the European Landscape
Convention
• The Committee of Ministers is the decision-making body

22. Council of Europe - tools
Creates:
• Recommendations— “soft laws” with no legal obligation to
follow or implement
• Conventions/treaties between states - not obliged to sign
Once a state has signed and ratified, it will be morally and
legally bound under international law to implement it
Usually implemented under appropriate national legislation
There is little legal enforcement

23. Council of Europe: INGOs
• Approx. 300 international non-governmental organisations
(INGOs) are granted participative status
• They form an active body, the Conference of INGOs
• INGOs are able to participate in intergovernmental activities
• INGOs can become involved in intergovernmental
committees and contribute to the policy-making process
• These encourage dialogue to help create recommendations
and Conventions

24. For more about GEOLAND
GEOLAND Web site
https://www.geolandproject.eu
GEOLAND on social media
https://www.facebook.com/GEOLANDthePROJECT