Access for all? Socio-demographic biases and interest group access to the European Parliament

This article focuses on the access that interest groups secure to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). It examines whether and how interest group access is influenced by the socio-demographic characteristics of lobbying teams and politicians, including gender and national origin. Guided by similarity attraction theory, the study hypothesises that interest groups staffed by lobbyists from underprivileged socio-demographic backgrounds (i.e., women, Central and Eastern European, or non-EU origin) are less likely to secure access to MEPs. However, it suggests that MEPs from similar backgrounds are less susceptible to such biases. To test these expectations, the study utilises a combination of door pass data to the European Parliament, reported meetings on the European Parliament's website, and desk research. The results show that lobbying teams with a balanced gender composition are more likely to secure access to MEPs, and that similarities in gender and national origin facilitate interactions between MEPs and lobbying teams. The study offers valuable insights into the inclusiveness and socio-demographic biases within EU public affairs.