On March 22nd PlantEurope members met to learn more about how to have their voice heard in the European Parliament. The meeting was joined by two parliamentary assistants from MEP Sylwia Spurek, Myka Zabinska and Barbara Wolk; as well as Ronja Berthold from our PlantEurope partner, the European Vegetarian Union (EVU). Together they answered questions from the PlantEurope members and team. We are excited to share a few of them here.

• Asked about the demands reaching members of the European parliament, Accredited Parliamentary Assistants (APA) Zabinska and Wolk shared that the outcome of a request really depends on the decision maker that is being addressed. One of the mechanisms for asking questions to the European commission is members of the European Parliament asking a question sent to them by a contact. It is helpful to have a very precise, concrete question. 
• Ronja Bertholdt shared that it is often much more difficult to put a topic on the agenda yourself, but also that it is usually much easier to jump on processes that are already ongoing. Therefore it is easier to influence these topics instead of trying to start a new conversation.
• When asked about her advice for reaching out to MEPs Ronja Berthold also shared the following key points to remember:
  • Professionalism: Correctly address your audience (get information about them beforehand). Do not send mass emails! (MEPs are annoyed by that)
  • Be reliable: Answer if there are follow-up questions!
  • Transparency: It is important to be open about your identity and tell the audience who you represent, especially if you are not well known yet.
  • Know your audience: Create a clear picture of who you are talking to. (Consider publications, voting behavior etc.)
  • Give the MEP(s) time: They are very busy, so don’t send a reminder after 1-2 days already. (Better: around two weeks of waiting time)
  • Have a good political understanding:  As an example, market questions should be directed more to the liberal party etc.
  • As a small NGO: Find parties and allies as we have to work/come together. This also will be beneficial in the sense of work division.
  • Preparation and follow-up: Have all material handy in order to give it to political decision-makers.
• APAs Wolk and Zabinska added that it is always a good idea to send direct and personalized emails, as they most catch their attention.
• The next opportunity to have your voice heard at the European Commission is the feedback round for the Sustainable Food Systems Framework.
• Ronja Berthold also recommended approaching MEPs with best practice examples, as the science behind sustainable food systems is quite clear to them, but they are keen on learning about actual examples. 
• Another helpful addition was the mention of the EU consultation process: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say_en  

We want to thank the speakers and participants for their valuable input and can assure them that all PlantEurope members will find it useful as they continue to work toward the promotion of a plant-based diet. 

Don’t miss out on future PlantEurope members meetings: Sign up to become a member free of charge here and join the PlantEurope community to keep up to date on all events.