The Challenge
Corporate Brussels establishments sometimes treat NGOs as adversaries to be managed rather than legitimate policy partners whose perspectives merit substantive engagement in regulatory development. Business associations and industry representatives view environmental, consumer, or social justice organisations as advocacy groups pursuing unrealistic demands—not stakeholders with technical expertise and constituency representation policy development should incorporate alongside industry positions. The dismissal: NGO policy input can sometimes receive limited consideration in business community discussions substantially influencing the Commission policy direction. Corporate stakeholders can selectively engage civil society only through token consultation performing stakeholder inclusion without genuine dialogue or position accommodation legitimate partnership would involve. Why This Happens. Business associations naturally prioritise member company interests and sometimes view NGO positions as external pressures to be countered—not legitimate stakeholder perspectives balanced policy should accommodate. This creates corporate consultation networks systematically excluding civil society voices from preliminary policy discussions where industry positions form before Commission engagement begins. The structural disadvantage: NGOs encounter business stakeholders only in formal consultation contexts where industry positions have already solidified. You're responding to corporate-framed policy debates rather than participating in preliminary discussions enabling civil society input to shape problem definition and solution consideration corporate stakeholder dominance controls when NGOs are excluded from policy formation stages.
Our Solution
Multi-stakeholder platform development creating structured civil society-business dialogue on policy issues where both perspectives inform balanced regulatory approaches: Facilitating corporate-NGO working groups engaging substantively on technical policy questions rather than adversarial position advocacy Developing common ground positions where business and civil society interests align on regulatory approaches serving both constituencies Demonstrating to corporate stakeholders that NGO expertise and legitimacy merit partnership rather than dismissive treatment current corporate Brussels culture maintains We help civil society organisations overcome exclusion from serious policy dialogue by creating engagement contexts where substantive technical discussion replaces adversarial position-taking—enabling corporate recognition of NGO contributions such a partnership requires.
The Outcome
You gain serious engagement with business stakeholders on regulatory development—enabling policy input influencing corporate positions and Commission proposals rather than reactive opposition to industry-dominated framework. Partnership approach enabling balanced policy development incorporating both business feasibility and civil society legitimacy concerns—rather than adversarial dynamics treating NGOs as protesters to be managed rather than stakeholders whose perspectives merit substantive incorporation in regulatory approaches multi-stakeholder governance should produce.
How We Deliver
Multi-stakeholder platform facilitation creating substantive civil society-business dialogue: Developing working groups enabling technical policy engagement Identifying common ground positions Demonstrating NGO expertise meriting partnership The result: Civil society inclusion in serious policy dialogue rather than dismissive treatment - enabling NGO input within corporate positions and regulatory development rather than exclusion limiting civil society to reactive opposition against industry-dominated policy frameworks.