Policymaking follows a clear and established route called the policy cycle. For you to make an impact, it is therefore important to understand the policy cycle in your country. There are typically many steps before a bill is introduced into parliament. It is here, where you can have a real impact.

The policy cycle starts with issue identification and often this task is performed by civil servants in ministries. At this level, you have the chance to talk to experts directly and have the most influence.

Alternative routes to agenda setting are conferences of political parties. Here, the parties will define their policy proposals for the years to come and you will be in direct contact with high-level policy makers.

Once you have established your issue, it is important to get your issue on the political agenda. Here, you can work with a variety of stakeholders you have identified earlier. These can be members of parliament but might also be other stakeholders that care about your cause.

Having established your issue on the political agenda, it is now also important find a member of parliament to support your issue. This person can then, for example, call you in as an expert to highlight your issue in the respective committee.

All policy proposals will stand or fail with their financing. A policy might be enacted but not financed. Therefore, identify the stakeholder that has spending power and make sure that person is onboard with your proposed solution.

Having passed all these steps, it is now important to follow the implementation of the policy and keep an eye on its implementation. This will make sure the policy is implemented as intended for the benefit of patients.

Countries represented at YCE’s Fundamentals of EU Policy Making included Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.

A special thank you goes out to our sponsors for helping make the event possible.