18/06/2025
Effective advocacy starts with a deep understanding of the policymaking ecosystem. That’s what makes EU Matrix’s new EU Advocacy Engagement Index so valuable.
Based on 7,000 declared meetings held between December 2024 and April 2025, the Index offers a data-driven snapshot of who is meeting whom, how often, and in which policy areas.
Here are a few takeaways:
1. Which Commission services to engage with?
Use EU Matrix’s data to refine your stakeholder matrices and to understand what to prioritise and where to focus your resources:
- Which Directorates-General (DGs) are most engaged?
- Which Commissioners and civil servants are meeting the most stakeholders?
- Where are your competitors or potential allies getting traction?
Under-engaged DGs might represent a good opportunity. While DG CLIMA and DG ENER have high engagement volumes, a comparison between stakeholder types often shows that civil society is still underrepresented in certain DGs.
2. Broaden Your Reach
Policy change doesn’t happen in a vacuum—it’s the result of multilevel, sustained engagement. One of the most striking findings from the Index is that the most effective advocacy actors engage at both the political and technical levels. Commissioners may set the agenda, but civil servants shape the details. Meeting both ensures your message travels from vision to regulation. The Index can help you identify key ‘gatekeepers’ in Cabinets. Beyond the Commissioners themselves, certain cabinet members (e.g. Vita Junke on environment, Arthur Corbin on industry) drive heavy engagement in specific policy areas. Use the chart data to pinpoint and cultivate relationships with these gatekeepers, who often control access and help shape their Commissioner’s priorities.
3. Forge Alliances: The Company You Keep Matters
Some organisations consistently top the charts in terms of outreach strength. These are potential partners—or at least bellwethers. Consider this your cue to build issue coalitions. Aligning with peers can boost credibility and broaden access. By joining forces with organisations that already have high engagement levels in your policy area, you can share intelligence, coordinate messaging, and amplify your collective voice. EU Matrix scores different organisations by “engagement strength.” Use this intel to identify leading voices and potential allies—or to highlight where your organisation can grow within the top tier. The most powerful advocacy isn’t loud—it’s aligned.
4. Package Your Policy Ask: Align with the Commission’s Dual Mandate
One of the most strategic shifts in the new von der Leyen II Commission is the overlapping responsibilities shared across Commissioners, especially in cross-cutting policy areas like climate, digital, and industrial policy. This design also reflects the EU’s dual agenda: advancing competitiveness while keeping the green transition. For advocates, this creates a clear opportunity—and a challenge. To land effectively, your message needs to speak to both mandates. Reframe your issue so it hits multiple high-priority angles. By doing so, you don’t just make your advocacy more relevant—you make it Commission-ready. When your ask resonates across portfolios, you increase your chances of being heard at multiple levels and by multiple Commissioners.
5. Monitor Competitors’ Moves
Track which stakeholders (both NGOs and business associations) are most active in your policy domain. If a particular actor is leading consultations, study their messaging and materials to understand what is resonating, and where you might differentiate your pitch. Use the “Campaign strength” scores to see where you stand versus other organisations in your sector. Identifying whether you’re in the top quartile or trailing behind can help set realistic targets for increasing meetings with Commissioners, cabinets, or DG-level officials.
6. Leverage Engagement Metrics for Fundraising, Membership, and Public Accountability
Demonstrate to current or prospective funders and members that your organisation is systematically engaging with EU decision-makers, backed by transparent, quantifiable metrics—and set clear targets. At the same time, incorporate these figures into your annual reports or advocacy scorecards to show stakeholders exactly how actively you’re representing their interests in Brussels. By linking measurable outreach goals with public reporting, you both strengthen grant applications and membership appeals and underscore your commitment to transparency and evidence-based advocacy.
What You Can Do Next
- Update Your Stakeholder Maps: Use the EU Advocacy Engagement Index to identify your top-priority DGs and individual contacts.
- Plan Multilevel Outreach: Balance high-level meetings with day-to-day engagement at the working level.
- Build Coalitions and Monitor Competitors: Use the Index to identify and connect with allies who are already leading in your field, and track competitors’ moves.
- Prepare for Regular Updates: From summer 2025 onward, engagement data will be refreshed regularly on the specialised sections of www.eumatrix.eu. Build this into your internal monitoring so you can spot trends in real time and adjust strategy.