How has the European Union’s “consultation regime” developed over the years and has it managed bring greater legitimacy to EU decision-making?

 Description 1. How has the European Union’s “consultation regime” developed over the years and has it managed bring greater legitimacy to EU decision-making? 2. What steps has the European Union taken to mediate interest group lobbying in its institutions? How has this changed over the years and how effective is it? 3. Compare lobbying strategies across the EU’s three main institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Council of Ministers). What strategies work with which institutions and why? How does this relate to lobbying patterns and who wins lobbying battles in the EU? 4. Compare regulatory capture, cognitive capture, and the revolving door problem in the pre- and post-crisis periods in the case of the EU’s regulation of financial services? 5. In what ways does public opinion shape lobbying in the EU? 6. Lobbying in the EU is often characterized as a type of “elite pluralism”. Is this still an accurate characterization? 7. How can we reconcile contrasting evidence regarding lobbying influence in the EU? 8. How has EU Cohesion Policy changed the EU lobbying landscape? 9. To what extent and in what ways is lobbying sensitive to policy areas and policy issues? How does this effect lobbying patterns and influence?