The changing demography of the EU interest system since 1990

Abstract

European Union scholars have used a variety of data sources to assess the contours of the EU interest community, including directories maintained by the European Commission and commercial directories of interest organizations active in Brussels. Scholars have typically relied on only one of these sources, the least comprehensive, to assess demographic change in the EU population. We construct and then use a patched-up design focused on the more comprehensive data provided by several directories of interest groups to provide a more valid assessment of demographic changes in the EU interest system since 1990.