Why bother with Brussels? Animal Defenders International
Animal Defenders International (ADI)
ADI is a non profit animal protection campaign group, made up of three organisations, with offices in the UK and America. They work to secure animal rights offering practical solutions and alternatives to stop it happening. With limited resources to draw upon ADI recognise that their campaigns need to be well targeted and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. One of ADI's major international campaigns is against animal research. ADI where among the stakeholders that the European Commission consulted with whilst reviewing the Directive that governs animal research across the EU.
Why influence
ADI proposed a manifesto of changes they would like to see in the Directive. Working at the EU level, this was an 
opportunity for ADI to influence countries they would not normally get the chance to, across Europe. One area they chose to focus on was the use of non-human primates in research. In an attempt to test the water and gauge support ADI began their campaign with a radical Written Declaration to the European Parliament calling for a ban on primate experiments within six years. In a short space of time the Declaration gained the signatures of 88 MEPs, with many other MEPs expressing their interest in supporting a Written Declaration with more cautious targets.
Feedback from MEPs then shaped the campaign with a second Written Declaration launched in April 2007, calling for urgent action to end the use of Great Apes and wild-caught monkeys in experiments, and for a timeline to be set to end all experiments on non-human primates in Europe. This was a significant step forward for ADI's campaign, but for a Declaration to become EU policy, signatures of half the Parliament's MEPs need to be secured, currently this is 393 in less than six months.
ADI persisted with their lobbying campaign aiming to secure the backing of every political group and every member state in the EU. Within five months ADI had secured the signatures of 433 MEPs - the third highest on a Written Declaration since 2000.
How this was achieved
ADI ensured they has cross party support; not just left, right, centre and green but also from MEPs across all EU member states. To begin with ADI ensured that the five MEPs who tabled the Written Declaration were from different countries.
Raise and secure interest
ADI focused activity at plenary sessions, securing the support MEPs through using a mixture of light hearted campaign actions to gain interest, backed up with scientific, in depth evidence supporting the proposal. For campaigning groups to be effective they have to use everything in their armoury' Tim Philips, Campaigns Director ADI. ADI developed some creative campaign materials ranging from reports, DVDs and presentations to gorillagrams, Pri-mints' and chimp door hangers hung on the doors of MEPs who had not yet signed up.
Passion and persistence
Although the gains from influencing at the EU level can be huge, it can be a slow process so persistence in your campaigning is vital. For ADI, this is just the start of the campaign. Next they need to secure the support of the Commission and Council of Minsters to ensure this Written Declaration becomes a reality, but ADI plan to capitalise on the support that they have generated amongst the MEPs who signed the declaration.
Speak the right language
You can get away with campaigning in English but if you really want MEPs to take notice and read your information make your campaign multilingual. Try to produce reports and campaign materials in as many different languages as you can. Some of the work is already done for you as Declarations are translated by the Commission, providing the background information, as can working in partnerships with organisations from different member states. ADI translated the larger more detailed reports outlining the campaign into the languages of the six largest countries but by the end of the campaign ADI were writing materials in every EU language.
Partnerships
Involving people from across the whole of the EU can help to ensure that the campaign is implemented within these countries. Working with partner organisations can ensure this happens and can get constituents involved in lobbying too, through phone calls, letters and postcards, to let their MEPs know that people are concerned about an issue and gain their support.
Monitor your progress
Keep track regularly of where you are and keep everybody up to date, to ensure that you are not doubling up and hassling MEPs whose support you have already secured. ADI kept a database to track MEPs as they signed up and to monitor when they we contacting others.
Make it personal
Try to make personal contact with MEPs. Send through thank you letters once they have signed up and keep them up to date with the progress of the campaign. Once MEPs are onboard, demonstrate they are supporting the campaign, for example by putting their names or quotes on campaign materials or offering to draft and translate letters of support.
Stick to the message
Be consistent in your messaging throughout the campaign. Keep to the same theme and offer practical and realistic alternatives, in this case the developments in new alternative research methods.
With thanks to Tim Phillips, Animal Defenders International
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