[FR] Think tanks are not lobbying organisations!

Think tanks are not lobby groups. This misconception is detrimental to the development of a type of organisation that is essential for providing the institutions and leaders of the European Union with political analysis and proposals, as indicated by the survey we conducted among numerous European decision-makers in 2004. Indeed, the attention given to lobbies in Chapter 2 of the Green Paper is governed by a legitimate concern: while lobbying is an essential and unavoidable activity in any democracy, efforts to influence institutions can in some cases jeopardise their proper functioning. It is well known that lobbying suffers from a largely negative image in the public mind. Confusing think tanks with lobbies is neither legitimate nor desirable.