Lietuvos žemės ūkio interesų grupių institucionalizacija ir europeizacija

LTIštirtos pagrindinių Lietuvos žemės ūkio nevyriausybinių organizacijų interesų atstovavimo Europos Sąjungoje tendencijos. Pagrindiniais veiksniais, turintis įtakos veiklos europeizacijai, laikomi materialieji ir kiti ištekliai bei įsitvirtinimas nacionalinėje institucijų sistemoje. Atskleista, kad veikla europiniame lygmenyje yra svarbus prioritetas, darantis įtaką ir interesų atstovavimui Lietuvos vyriausybinėse institucijose. Aptariamas analizės šablonų ir tyrimo modelių pritaikomumas Lietuvos atveju. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Atstovavimas; Institucionalizacija; Interesai; Interesų grupės; Lietuvos žemės ūkio interesų grupės; Žemės ūkis; Agriculture; European Union; Institutionalization; Interest groups; Interests; Lithuania; Lithuanian agricultural interest groups; Representation; Europos Sąjunga (European Union).

ENObjective of this paper is to test what factors influence the Europeanization of Lithuanian agricultural interest groups. The increased role of the European Union as a regulator of Common Agriculture Policy and Lithuania's integration into the European Union, the wide range of powers delegated to the supranational level created a new challenge and a new environment for activities of interest groups. Another plot is "old", Western, versus "new", post communist member states (such as Lithuania) expecting slightly different challenges for and patterns of interest group activities. Within multidimensional and complicated environment of interest representation at both national and supranational levels, interest groups may choose to transfer their attention and activities to the EU level by using the "Brussels route". On the other hand, one can view the Europeanization of activities of interest groups from a more "top-down" perspective focusing on the domestic processes. Two following models based on different assumptions have been applied. The first one is based on a more rational choice assumption: interest groups are utility maximizers willing to Europeanize when more benefits and positive policy outcomes are expected. Here, the material and organizational resources are at stake and enable the groups to transfer their focus on the supranational level.In the case of the second model, the domestic institutional environment, conditions for involvement of the group in the decision-making process at the domestic level determine whether the group aims to Europeanize. Semi standardized interviews and document analysis have been used as research methods. It has been shown that Lithuanian agricultural interest groups consider the EU crucial for their presence. On domestic level, they use "the EU" argument and their experience in many contexts of negotiations with the Lithuanian governmental officials. They rely on the indirect lobbying activities through EU-wide associations such as СОР and COGECA. Their financial and human resources are rather modest. Considering the information resources, agricultural interest groups possess a large amount of knowledge based on agricultural issues of national as well as supranational level. The patterns of presence are rather specific ones: agricultural interest groups present a large amount of appeals and reports to the governmental institutions, are represented in governmental working groups and committees, they are involved in decision making. In conclusion, combination of resources and presence in the domestic institutional context seem to be influential. Agricultural interest groups demonstrate moderate resources and moderate participation with strong acknowledgement of the importance of the supranational level. Lithuania demonstrates institutionalization of activities of interest groups, which is accompanied by the process of Europeanization (both "bottom-up" and "top down" perspectives). The case analyzed demonstrates more general similarities with than differences from Western counterparts although different assumptions and analytical models are to be further discussed. [From the publication]

• Politikos mokslai / Political sciences
• Ekonomika / Economics