La représentation du sucre à Bruxelles : sociohistoire des pratiques de lobbying auprès des instances européennes depuis le début du XXe siècle

This article deals with the practices of lobbying made by some agricultural interest groups and their representatives in the “sugar sector”, at the European level, since the early 20th century until today. The study draws three distinct periods. The first shows how an international organization of European Beet Growers has been structured and represented its interests at the international level even before the political community of Europe. This first period laid the foundation for the next one, which begins at the creation of the EEC in 1967, and is characterized by a strong co-management between the authorities and industry representatives. The third period is concerned with transformations of lobbying from the 1980s, when entering the era of globalization and pluralism. Despite changes in the system of interest intermediation of the European Union (1992), the representatives of the sector will continue their strategies, based on the special relationship they have with representatives of the European Commission. At the same time, this last period highlights the importance of the address book in political processes, and is also characterized by the use of expertise by the Commission.