The ‘Brussels bubble’ is one of the world’s foremost arenas for lobbying. Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) are a key category of actors in this arena, yet the way they are conceived of by both decision-makers and the public is often outdated or distorted. This book offers a clear-eyed examination of how NGOs shape EU policymaking—and how their public image diverges from their actual roles, resources, and strategies. Far from being conduits of grassroots engagement, many Brussels-based NGOs are professional lobbying organisations with transnational agendas, close ties to funders and allies, and privileged access to policymakers across the European institutions. And while corporate lobbies may still outspend them, NGOs are often exempted from the critical scrutiny applied to business groups. This disparity allows NGOs to enjoy both public funding and philanthropic support in pursuing their agendas while positioning themselves as guardians of the common good rather than particular interests. Drawing on an extensive corpus of political science and more than 10,000 pages of primary documents, the book reveals how NGOs navigate the complex legislative process at EU level. Based on its empirical observations and review of several theories of democratic government, the book calls for a fundamental reconsideration of the NGO label and for a more transparent taxonomy that distinguishes organisations by their funding sources and membership structures. Accessible yet analytically rigorous, this volume offers scholars, policymakers, journalists, and citizens a comprehensive and timely account of NGO influence in Brussels—and a vital contribution to ongoing debates about transparency, legitimacy, and the future of civil society in EU governance.

Werner J. Patzelt is a political scientist who held the Chair of Political Systems and Comparative Politics at TU Dresden for nearly three decades and was the founding professor of the university’s Institute of Political Science. Following his retirement from academia, he served as Research Director at MCC Brussels until 2025. A leading authority on parliamentarism and political parties, he is among Germany’s most prominent political commentators and a widely sought-after media expert on German and European politics.

Richard J. Schenk is a political scientist and received his diploma from the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich. He worked at the School of Governance of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where he is a Ph.D. candidate. He currently works as a research fellow at MCC Brussels, is the co-founder of the think tank Freedom and Sovereignty Initiative, and is a regular commentator on European affairs and guest in Brussels-based media.

Philipp Siegert is a historian and political scientist. He worked in academia at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History in Frankfurt and Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris, then served as the resident representative of a German political foundation in France for four years. He was MCC Brussels' deputy research director from 2023 to 2026 and now works in the field of governmental affairs.