From Lobbying to Advocacy: Civic Lobbying and Public Engagement in the European Union

The paper investigates the conceptual and practical transition from traditional lobbying to broader advocacy dynamics within the European Union, with a particular focus on the emergence of civic lobbying as a distinctive and increasingly institutionalized form of public engagement. Over the past decade, debates on EU democratic legitimacy have highlighted the need for more inclusive, transparent, and participatory policy-making processes. While lobbying has historically been dominated by professionalized actors - industry groups, trade associations, consultancy firms - recent political, social, and technological developments have facilitated the entry of new participants into the arena of interest representation. Digital mobilization tools, transnational grassroots movements, and a heightened public awareness of EU-level policies have expanded the repertoire of actors capable of influencing European decision-making, thereby reshaping the boundaries between lobbying, advocacy, and civic participation. The paper situates civic lobbying within this broader transformation, conceptualizing it as a hybrid mode of influence that combines strategic policy engagement with normative claims to democratic inclusion. Unlike conventional lobbying, which typically prioritizes technical expertise and targeted access to policymakers, civic lobbying emphasizes collective identities, public interest framings, and bottom-up mobilization. It involves civil society organizations, citizen platforms, and hybrid advocacy networks that seek not only to shape legislation but also to democratize policy processes by fostering transparency, accountability, and participatory mechanisms. The central research questions explored in this study are: • What distinguishes civic lobbying from traditional lobbying in terms of practices, objectives, and legitimacy claims? • How have EU institutions responded to these evolving forms of engagement? • To what extent does civic lobbying contribute to narrowing the democratic gap commonly associated with EU governance? • Where is the line between civic participation and lobbying? The paper will focus on: 1. The institutional responses (Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021); 2. A definitional inquiry into the boundary between the concepts of lobbying, civic participation, and social movements, as well as their repertoires of action; 3. An overview on environmental activism related Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/904, and repealing Directive 94/62/EC; Directive (EU) 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment The paper suggests that civic lobbying offers meaningful opportunities for enhancing democratic participation within the EU. It broadens access to policy arenas, enabling citizens and grassroots actors to influence debates that were previously dominated by well-resourced interests. However, the study also identifies significant constraints. Civic actors face structural disadvantages such as limited financial resources, organizational instability, and uneven access to institutional channels. Furthermore, the growing diversity of actors raises questions about representativeness and the potential fragmentation of public interest claims.