Advocating in the EU
This course is one of a new series of 1-credit courses utilizing practitioners to teach students on a variety of topics related to European and EU studies. These classes combine academic discussion with real-world insights from the instructors’ based on their experiences working in, with or for the European Union. The EU in Practice courses are a unique, one-time opportunity for students to engage with practitioners and policymakers.
In spring 2023, the course is offered as a full semester course, however, class meetings will be concentrated during a 1-week intensive in-person seminar from Monday, February 20 – Friday, February 24 (6:00 – 9:00 pm). Additional meetings (virtual and/or in person) may be scheduled before and after the intensive seminar week to review readings and discuss assignments. Students will be expected to prepare readings in advance of the one-week intensive seminar and will work on a final project in the latter half of the semester. This semester the course will explore the process of advocating in the EU. The objective of the course is to understand how advocacy towards the European Union institutions is conducted by interested stakeholders – notably business and civil society – and to learn from successful and failed advocacy strategies developed over the past 30 years, mirroring the evolution of EU institutions, policies, and the European public debate. The course will look at advocacy practices for each of the main EU institutions, including the European Commission, European Parliament, and Council of the European Union.
Meet the instructor
Pierre-Yves Le Borgn’ is Director, Governance & Membership at CEN, the European Committee for Standardization. He is a former member of the French Parliament. He served as member of the National Assembly from 2012 to 2017, representing French citizens living abroad. Sitting in the Foreign Affairs Committee, he specialized on global warming, European affairs and the protection of rights and freedoms.
Pierre-Yves Le Borgn’ was the rapporteur of the ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change. He chaired the parliamentary friendship group between France and Germany and represented the French Parliament at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He was the candidate of the French government in 2018 for the position of Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, losing narrowly to Commissioner Dunja Mijatovic in the final vote.
From 1990 to 2012, Pierre-Yves Le Borgn’ held various corporate affairs positions for multinational companies in the fast-moving consumer goods, chemical industry and renewable energies sectors. Prior to his election to the French Parliament, he was Vice President, Corporate Affairs Europe at First Solar, Inc. His professional responsibilities have given him extensive knowledge of EU and national legislation on energy, environment, competition and trade. From 2003 to 2006, while working for Rohm and Haas as Director, Industry relations and EU law counsel, Pierre-Yves Le Borgn’ chaired the environmental law committee of the European confederation of the chemical industry CEFIC.
