In the new edition of his standard work the founder of one of the most successful lobbying
companies in the European Union (EU) Prof. Klemens Joos bundles experience acquired over more
than three decades to form a scientific theory on governmental relations. It focusses on the
insight that in view of the increasingly complex decision-making structures of the EU the
most precise possible knowledge of decision-makers and decision-making processes is at least
equally as important to success as the content aspects of interest representation. In a new
chapter the author sets out the formula for science-based interest representation developed by
him from his practical experience. With the Treaty of Lisbon which entered into force on 1
December 2009 the EU de facto became a state territory stretching from Portugal to Finland and
from Ireland to Cyprus. The European Parliament became an equal-status decision-maker alongside
the Council of the European Union (Council). The previous co-decision procedure was elevated to
become the standard procedure (ordinary legislative procedure). The so-called qualified
majority (55 percent of the EU member states which simultaneously represent at least 65 percent
of the EU population) was introduced for all important areas in the Council. As a result the
outcome of decision-making processes has become largely incalculable for the actors on the
European Union stage - the EU member states EU regions companies associations and
organisations. The second edition includes a new chapter in which Prof. Klemens Joos makes the
variables of successful interest representation even more tangible on the basis of his
scientific formula: at the latest since the Treaty of Lisbon the basic prerequisite for
successful interest representation in the EU involves the continuous and close intermeshing of
the affected party's content competence (of the four classic instruments of interest
representation: corporate representative offices associations public affairs agencies law
firms) with process structure competence (i.e. the EU-wide maintenance of the required spatial
personnel and organisational capacities as well as strong networks across institutions
political groups and member states) on the part of an independent intermediary. The likelihood
of success can be increased exponentially if success is achieved firstly in committing to the
concern of an affected party through a change of perspective such that the positive effects on
the common good are shifted into the foreground for the decision-makers in the EU (perspective
change competence) and secondly in successfully integrating the concern into the crucial
decision-making processes at the political level and continuously supporting it (process
support competence). Guest authors: This work includes guest contributions from Prof. Christian
Blümelhuber (Berlin University of the Arts) Prof. Anton Meyer (formerly LMU Munich) Prof.
Armin Nassehi (LMU Munich) and Prof. Franz Waldenberger (Director of the German Institute of
Japanese Studies Tokyo) as well as a foreword by Prof. Gunther Friedl (Dean of the TUM School
of Management) and a preface by Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann (President of TU Munich).
