Participants or observers in European governance? : civil society lobbyists from Central and Eastern Europe in Brussels

This study focuses on the framework conditions under which civil society actors from the new Central and East European member states of the European Union are operating in Brussels. They are facing several challenges which complicate their access to the formal and informal networks of European policy making. By analysing the network around the Directive on Services, the author exemplifies the difficulties the civil society actors from the four new member states face and what implications it has on the EU governance. Kristina Charrad is a member of the Research Group European Civil Society and Multilevel Governance at the University of Mnster.