Abstract
This paper attempts to provide alternative analytical framework which can shed new light on the issue of corporate political activities in complex, multi-layered polities such as the European Union. While building on the concepts proposed by Vivien Schmidt, the paper assesses the ability of corporate actors to strategically use ideas in the form of discourse in the complex legislative processes of the EU.
The framework is subsequently employed in two brief case studies in the European energy sector. The first one concerns the negotiation of the European Union's third energy package which presents the latest stage in the construction of the internal energy market.
The second case focuses on the legislative process in the area of the EU climate change policies. In doing so, the essay tries to identify possible variables that determine the capacities of corporate actors to exercise influence and power over the EU decision-making processes.