Majercsik Kata (X5H0SW), 10.11.2023.

Handout - The Kangaroo Group

1. Introduction – what is the Kangaroo Group?
 lobbying organization & cross-party discussion platform
 one of the first intergroups established within the European Parliament
 it was founded in 1979 (unofficially)/1981(officially)
 The primary focus of the group
i. European integration and its development
ii. economic cooperation: elimination of internal borders and the creation of a
viable internal market
iii. political and economic unity within the European Union
iv. security and defence of the community
 Inspiration behind their name - resilient nature of the kangaroo; it can leap over
boundaries with remarkable agility despite having only a small pouch.
i. Fun fact: The idea behind the name came from Dieter Rogalla, one of the
founding members of the organization who had been to Australia and was
wearing a kangaroo badge at one of the early/unofficial meetings of the group.
 Motto: “free movement and security”  aligned with their overarching goals and
principles
 Provides framework for lobby activity
i. creates a platform where lobbyists from various background can formally
engage with the politicians and officials of the European Union
 lobby activities
i. Advocacy and debating in Brussels
ii. Active policy formulation
iii. Collaboration with stakeholders and industrial actors
iv. Organizing Strasbourg Lunch Debates and virtual debates
v. Visits to EU presidencies and agencies
vi. Quarterly newsletters on EU legal and political developments.
 neutrality - not representing any specific interest groups, political parties or ideologies
 they mainly select projects that adhere to the principles of sustainability and
subsidiarity
 Headquarters: Brussels
 non-profit organization under Belgian law
 Recognized as a Think Tank and a research institution by the Transparency Register of
the European Union

2. Composition of the Group

 Inclusivity and diversity
i. aim: to foster collaborations and consensus-building while showcasing a
diverse array of national interests
  Size and membership (as of 2023)
i. MEPs from various political parties and nationalities (16 members)
1. from larger European parties such as EPP (European People’s Party),
Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, etc.
2. from various committees and sub-committees dealing with economic
matters e.g. Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development,
Committee on Monetary and Economic Affairs, etc.
ii. business actors (38 members)
1. auto industry – Volvo Group
2. Space, security and defence – AIRBUS, EUROMIL
3. Finance – Allianz, Generali
4. Fast moving consumer goods – British American Tobacco, Unilever
5. Etc.: Pharmaceuticals, Food, Chemical industry, Transport, mailing,
Legal
iii. other institutions, academics & experts (28 members)
 Executive board members
i. Michael Gahler MEP, President,
ii. Olivier Jehin, Responsible for Communication
iii. Charles Laroche, Treasurer
iv. Josepha von Wolff Metternich, Secretary General/Director

3. Foundation – brief historical background

 1979 – first inaugural direct elections to the European Parliament

i. Demand for reforms increased within the EC institutions
 Two groups of MEPs emerged with differing views on the development of the
European Community
i. Maximalists (“Crocodile Club”): advocates of the European Federalism and
the creation of a European Constitution; pressed for a widened scope of EC
activities; transforming the Parliament into a constitutional body – this group
was led by Altiero Spinelli
ii. Minimalists (“Kangaroo Group”): sceptics of federalism and parliamentary
reforms; emphasized the liberalization of the internal market and the necessity
to demonstrate the Community’s ability to remove border controls and
obstacles of trade within the Common Market
 Founding members of the group
i. Basil de Ferranti
1. leading British conservative MEP, businessman and Parliament Vice-
President (1979-82)
2. Appointed to the Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee (ECON) where he set up a sub-committee with a focus on
 the Internal Market – travelled to European Community capitals to
persuade ministers regarding the Single Market
ii. Karl Von Wogau
1. German MEP (EPP: 1979-2008)
2. Chair of ECON (1994-99); chairman of the Subcommittee on Security
and Defence of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (2004-2009)
3. former Secretary General of the Kangaroo Group
4. Today: Honorary president of the Group
iii. Dieter Rogalla
1. German MEP and member of the socialist party
2. Member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and
Industrial Policy (1989-94)
3. Fun fact: In 1982, he established Eurotour, a cycling event that
involved crossing numerous borders between member states and held
great symbolic significance. Rogalla himself took part in this event for
the last time in 2009 when he was 82 years old.

4. The 1980s – goals, initiatives and achievements

 advocating for the completion of the Single European Market, contributing to the
establishment of the Single European Act (SEA) in 1986.
 Origin of the Group: a trade issue faced by a UK company (Lancing Bagnall) which
encountered non-tariff barriers in France due to technical requirements which led to
Basil de Ferranti's involvement - used his position as MEP to address such trade
problems
 Further issues addressed by the group regarding the single market
i. Raised concerns about French protectionism impeding the free movement of
goods and services in the EU
ii. Tackled the problem of trade barriers, regulatory obstacles, and differences in
value-added tax (VAT) regulations among member states
 Initiatives and steps - Mobilizing an extensive network of both national and
transnational participants
i. Within the Parliament
1. disseminated the idea of market completion among political groups
2. Kangaroo News – bulletin through which they promoted initiatives
related to the internal market e.g. European Single Sky Project,
common technical standards and product certification, etc.
3. debates on market completion within the ECON
ii. Beyond the Parliament
1. collaboration with the Commission
a. allied with Karl-Heinz Narjes – commissioner for the internal
market
 b. 1985 – inviting the newly appointed Commissioner for the
common market Arthur Cockfield to the presentation of the
Dekker Europe 1990 plan
2. Working with national governments
a. Especially close links with the UK
3. Cooperation with the Round Table of Europe (business advocacy
group)
4. launched a public campaign in 1983 to eliminate administrative,
technical, and fiscal barriers
5. promotion of market completion among business circles, including
figures like John Raisman, CEO of Shell UK, Chairman of the EU
Committee of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), and the
CEO of Philips, Wisse Dekker
a. Dekker Europe 1990 served as the basis of Delor’s white paper
on completing the single internal market
 Achievements
i. In the Parliament:
1. consensus regarding the completion of the internal market emerged
even though it was not a priority for all MEPs
2. Facilitated the resolution of differences between conservative and EPP
MEPs
ii. Made previously sceptical business actors evolve toward pro-European
attitude
iii. 1985 – the European Commission presented the White Paper on the single
internal market
iv. 1986 – the Single European Act was signed

5. Contemporary goals
 Economy:
i. Protection of the internal market
ii. Promote innovation through intellectual property protection
iii. Advocate for EU projects like the European Single Sky
iv. Remove remaining barriers for the four freedoms within the EU
 Financial System:
i. Advocate for central bank transparency and the strengthening of monetary
stability
 Security and Defence:
i. Secure external borders of EU
ii. Support a common Security and Defence policy.
iii. Promote more efficient organization of defence spending and closer
cooperation among member states
iv. Focus on intelligence, space, and satellite communication.
 v. Engagement in activities like the Defence Summit, Common Security and
Defence Policy (CSDP) missions, and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

6. Criticism
 Privileged Access to European Parliament Facilities:
i. The Kangaroo Group had an office within the European Parliament and
frequently held events there - some argued that this was problematic, as only a
few external organizations were allowed such access
ii. An inquiry was requested to assess the Group's compliance with Parliament
rules, leading to their move out of the Parliament in January 2012.
 Arms Lobbying:
i. Critics raised concerns about the Kangaroo Group's "Space, Defence &
Security" working group possibly being used by the arms industry to influence
EU security and defence policies.
ii. Corporate members, including arms manufacturers raised questions about
potential conflicts of interest.
iii. Advocacy for EU militarization under the guise of reducing individual
member states' military spending was criticized as potentially undermining the
public interest.

7. Conclusions
 Contribution to European integration
i. Their contribution to the realization of the SEA paved the way for the
realization of the single market in 1993
ii. Still significant present-day activity on the fields of economy, finance and
defence & security

8. Bibliography
 European Parliament. “Lobby Groups and Transparency.” Lobby Groups and
Transparency, www.europarl.europa.eu/at-your-service/en/transparency/lobby-groups.
(Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.)
 Ferrero-Waldner, Benita. “Press Corner.” European Commission - European
Commission, 28 May 2008,
ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/fr/speech_08_285. (Accessed 5 Nov.
2023.)
 Harryvan, Anjo. “The Single Market Project as a Response to Globalisation: The Role
of the Round Table of European Industrialists and Other Non-State Actors in
Launching the European Union’s Internal Market (1983-1992).” The University of
Groningen Research Portal, edited by Michael Gehler and Wilfried Loth, Nomos,
2020, pp. 209–26, research.rug.nl/en/publications/the-single-market-project-as-a-
response-to-globalisation-the-role. (Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.)
 “Kangaroo Group | Lobbyfacts.” Www.lobbyfacts.eu,
www.lobbyfacts.eu/datacard/kangaroo-group?rid=81031887403-27#data-card-data-
eu-structures. (Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.)
 “The Kangaroo Group.” Www.kangaroogroup.de, 2023, www.kangaroogroup.de/.
Accessed 2 Nov. 2023.
 “Transparency Register.” Ec.europa.eu,
ec.europa.eu/transparencyregister/public/consultation/displaylobbyist.do?
id=81031887403-27. (Accessed 9 Nov. 2023.)
 Moravcsik, Andrew. “Negotiating the Single European Act: National Interests and
Conventional Statecraft in the European Community.” International Organization,
vol. 45, no. 1, 1991, pp. 19–56. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2706695.
(Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.)
 European Parliament, Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services,
Warlouzet, Laurent. (2020). Completing the single market: the European Parliament
and economic integration, 1979-1989, Publications
Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2861/760424 (Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.)