Assessing Conditions for Influence of Interest Groups in the EU

Abstract: An important factor for the ability of interest groups to contribute to democratic decisionmaking is the balance between their input and the political autonomy of decision-makers. This article focuses on the results of four case studies ofdecision-making in the fields of IT and transport in the EU. These case studies show that private actors do contribute to decision-making, but they are less influential for EU politics than anticipated. Based on the case studies, this article assesses how and to what extent interest groups contribute to decision-making in the two sectors, in the context of the EU's political structure and, notably, its alleged democratic deficit.;