Roundtable: Lobbying the EU Effectively and Ethically

This discussion will be an opportunity to exchange views with peers and hear from experts from the European Commission and Transparency International on pressing issues such as:

• What are the rules and regulations in place in the European Commission when it comes to transparency
• The ethical approach to stakeholder mapping, and how to engage with European officials
• Trends and developments in this field you should expect for the months and years ahead
• The Do’s and Don’ts of lobbying European officials

Martin Ohridski
Policy Officer
Secretariat-General | SG.C.1 – Transparency Register
European Commission

Following his graduation in BA International Relations (University of Malta) and MA European Public Affairs (University of Maastricht), Martin Ohridski began his European career in the social NGO sector in Brussels where he worked as a Public Affairs Officer, consultant and project manager. He was a Board Member of the Society of European Affairs Professionals (SEAP) and an accredited lobbyist with the European Parliament. Martin moved to the EU civil service in 2008 when he joined the Crisis Management Unit within the Secretariat General of the European Commission. Since 2014, Martin has worked as a senior Policy Officer in the SG Transparency Unit where he contributes to the implementation and further development of the Commission’s wider policy on transparency and lobbying regulation, in particular with regard to the management of the EU’s Transparency Register and relations with interest representatives.

Michiel van Hulten
Director, EU office
Transparency International

Michiel joined Transparency International EU in 2019. He is a former official, politician and consultant with over 20 years’ experience of EU policy, campaigns and communications. From 2012 to 2014 he was managing director of VoteWatch Europe, the organisation that monitors the decision-making processes of the EU institutions. From 1999 to 2004 he was a Member of the European Parliament, and before that he was an official with the EU Council of Ministers. Throughout his career, Michiel has specialised in issues around democracy, transparency, accountability and citizenship. He holds Master’s degrees in politics and public administration from the London School of Economics and the College of Europe in Bruges.