Challenge

The EU had banned the pesticide Mancozeb as part of its Green Deal strategy. The ban on Mancozeb triggered a Maximum Residue Level (MRLs) review of the EU for imported bananas treated with Mancozeb, which could negatively affect the banana trade into the European Union. It was against this background that the leading banana companies including Dole, Delmonte and Chiquita reached out to Alber & Geiger, to provide regulatory and political support around MRLs in bananas.

Strategy

We were able – in a short period of time – to devise a strategy that put the spotlight on the necessity of Mancozeb and lack of efficient alternatives. We also helped put together evidence on the safety of the continued use of Mancozeb in bananas owing to the characteristics of bananas, and no associated dietary and health risks. Finally, our team brought to the attention of decision-makers trade and development arguments that emphasized further the importance of a balanced decision.

Results

The Rapporteur Member State Greece carried out an assessment of Mancozeb in bananas and proposed a Maximum Residue Level in line with the international standard under CODEX-CXL. In addition, we were able to garner support for our arguments and the preservation of the international standard for the use of Mancozeb in bananas with relevant lawmakers in the European Parliament, and key decision makers in the member states and European Commission departments.

Challenge

We were hired by the Council for a Democratic Iran (CDI) to raise political awareness and build support for the CDI before the EU. The hurdle here was to promote the very specific foreign policy position of the CDI, with the Member States governments, with conflicting positions on Iran. The subtle CDI policy locus fell in between confrontation and accommodation. This had to be done in a universal, politically neutral manner.

Strategy

The strategy relied on a data collection and dissemination process based on our distinct EU lobbying infrastructure. We gathered a detailed pool of information from a holistic range of institutional, local, NGO and inter-governmental sources.

Subsequently our team translated the data to be compatible with the policy structures of the EU institutions. We tailored the message to different audience catchments of Member States. Overall the strategy outlined an accurate overview of the scale of repression and human rights violations in Iran. Concurrently it promoted positive transnational tools to tangibly shape policy accordingly.

Results

CDI’s message was successfully transplanted into the divergent attitudes of the EU Member States and EU institutions. We helped CDI contribute to greater coherence in the perception of Iranian politics and policies. Ultimately we prevented the subtleties of diplomacy from concealing the human rights violations in Iran. This created a context for more constructive and bold communications from media outlets and government officials with respect to the repressive actions.

Challenge

Global Hospitality Investments (GHI) was a large US real estate private equity investor. It acquired two properties with a loan from the former Hypo Real Estate Group (HRE). Following, the HRE’s portfolio was transferred to FMS Wertmanagement (FMS), the Federal government’s winding up institution for the HRE.

GHI offered to buy back the loan from FMS to save the property investments and proceed with the development plans. FMS was not willing to deal with GHI, which made any solution almost impossible. GHI sought Alber & Geiger’s help with the ensuing impasse to find a deal.

Strategy

We crafted a clear and concise message for the German government and the Bundestag that highlighted the bureaucratic approach of FMS regarding the offer put forward by GHI. The behaviour of FMS did not respect good governance principles and ignored the purpose upon which it was created, namely to “unwind the portfolio whenever it is financially advantageous and thus to achieve the best possible outcome in the interest of the German taxpayer.” The strategy demonstrated to the German Finance Ministry and the Bundestag that the circumstances demanded an equitable treatment of GHI. It drew on an understanding of the financial the political mindset in Germany that was used to strengthen the GHI proposal.

Results

Alber & Geiger helped GHI prepare the offer and guided the it through the entire process while ensuring the political backing of the German Finance Ministry and the Bundestag for a deal with FMS Wertmanagement. The transaction was finally successfully completed.