May 21st 2013Trade, Agribusiness
At the end of June, the European Union and the US will officially launch negotiations for a new free trade agreement known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The plan is to create the world's largest free trade area, 'protect' investment and harmonize regulation. While appealing to big business, the trade treaty poses a serious threat for citizens on both sides of the Atlantic, as it could weaken labour, social, environmental and consumer protection standards. One of the greatest risks includes US negotiators using the trade deal to push for the EU to open its plates and fields up to GM crops.
May 21st 2013Climate and Energy
The European Union (EU) and their national governments are set to discuss increased shale gas extraction in Europe which will increase environmental and social harm as well as dangerous climate change. Under the rhetoric of boosting growth, productivity and employment, lays the intention of furthering fossil fuel extraction including shale gas.
May 16th 2013
Public debate about the series of EU laws which are fundamentally restructuring economic and political governance in the EU.The debate will address the current developments, in particular the development of a Banking Union.
Thursday 23rd of May, 9.30-11.30 AM, Brussels.
May 15th 2013Trade
The EU's General Court has announced a date for the judgement in Corporate Europe Observatory's legal action, suing the European Commission for withholding information related to the EU’s free trade talks with India. The Commission is accused of discriminating in favour of corporate lobby groups and of violating the EU’s transparency rules. The judgement will be delivered on 7 June 2013.
May 8th 2013Lobbycracy
The report shows that Petite had a central role in the events that led to Dalli's forced resignation (under yet to be clarified circumstances, following bribery accusations) in mid-October 2012. Petite assisted tobacco company Swedish Match in submitting the complaint that triggered the OLAF investigation into the Dalli case, using his access to the Commission's Secretary-General Catherine Day, a former colleague at the European Commission.
Older entries
Crowdsourced lobby exposé shows Internet giants have footprints on our data privacy laws
One of the biggest lobby offensives in recent years has been raining down on Brussels, as American internet giants have taken fright at the prospect of new data privacy laws proposed for the EU. But it turns out that an alarmed Amazon or enraged eBay are aggressive animals, with friends in high places. The result of this massive lobby effort has been revealed by a new crowdsourced lobby transparency project, LobbyPlag, which shows how MEPs have copy-pasted amendments written by IT multinationals directly into the EU’s new data protection law.
At your service: the European Services Forum’s privileged access to the EU Commission
A recent documentary on lobbying in the EU, The Brussels Business, highlights the historically intimate links between the EU Commission and European services companies. New research reveals that they are as close as ever, working hand in glove to liberalise and deregulate services markets – from Canada to the ASEAN region, from the US to India.
EU Ombudsman launches investigation into Commission’s alleged failure to curb conflicts of interest via the revolving door
The European Ombudsman has launched an investigation into the European Commission's alleged failure to prevent conflicts of interest among staff as a result of the revolving door - where EU staff take up jobs with lobby firms and vice versa.
The ECB on the loose
The decision of the EU Ombudsman on a complaint filed by Corporate Europe Observatory enables the European Central Bank to associate even more closely with the financial lobby. The timing couldn’t be worse.
For a European Spring
'For a European Spring' is a call for actions and demonstrations all over Europe on the 13th of March, and for a pan-European demonstration and creative actions in Brussels on the 14th. It targets the EU Spring Summit, where leaders from across the continent will assemble on the 14th and 15 to further strengthen the European Council's neoliberal response to the crisis.
Corporate Europe Observatory is one of many groups involved. Read about the activities we're involved in - and those of others.
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Corporate Europe Observatory
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) is a research and campaign group working to expose and challenge the privileged access and influence enjoyed by corporations and their lobby groups in EU policy making.
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