Interests groups access in the EU's portfolio-based governance

The European Union emphasizes transparency and accountability as fundamental pillars of democracy, with the European Transparency Register serving as a clear example of the efforts made in this regard. These principles are crucial for preventing corruption, fostering citizen participation, and ensuring effective decision-making, all of which are vital for maintaining public trust in EU institutions. This study explores the meeting patterns between the European Commission and registered interest groups, seeking to establish a relationship between the economic or social nature of the portfolios and the interests represented by the entities they meet with. It hypothesizes a correlation between the economic nature of Commission officials' portfolios and their frequent meetings with interest groups defending material interests. Conversely, officials overseeing social portfolios are expected to meet more frequently with organizations that advocate for immaterial interests. Using a longitudinal analytical-descriptive approach, this study analyzes 24,587 registered meetings from November 2014 to October 2023, covering two legislative terms of the European Union. The results reveal that European Commission officials, regardless of portfolio type, predominantly meet with groups representing material interests, contradicting the expectation that social portfolios engage more with immaterial groups. This underscores the strong influence of economic interests on EU policy.