Corporate Europe Observatory

Exposing the power of corporate lobbying in the EU

Reports

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A transatlantic corporate bill of rights

June 3, 2013 - 09:52
Leaked draft versions of the EU negotiating mandate for a far-reaching free trade agreement with the US reveal the European Commission’s plans to enshrine more powers for corporations in the deal. The proposal follows a persistent campaign by industry lobby groups and law firms to empower large companies to challenge regulations both at home and abroad if they affect their profits.

Le droit de dire non

May 6, 2013 - 10:27
Alors que les états membres de l’Union Européenne (UE) analysent les conséquences environnementales du développement du gaz de schiste par la fracturation hydraulique, des négociations sont en cours pour un Accord Économique et Commercial Global (AECG) entre le Canada et l’Union Européenne. Controversé, ce dernier permettrait aux investisseurs de contester la décision des gouvernements de réguler ou d’interdire la fracturation.

The right to say no: EU–Canada trade agreement threatens fracking bans

May 6, 2013 - 10:09
As European Union (EU) member states consider the implications of environmentally risky shale gas development (fracking), negotiations are underway for a controversial EU–Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) that would grant investors the right to challenge governments’ decisions to ban and regulate fracking.

Refusing to be accountable

April 17, 2013 - 12:54
The European Commission's new proposal on Corporate Social Responsibility reporting has been weakened by industry pressure to the extent that it is now virtually meaningless. Business lobbies, with very active support from the German government, have successfully pushed for voluntary reporting with non-binding requirements that can be selectively interpreted and would not be enforceable.

Pestizide gegen Bestäuber

April 17, 2013 - 11:06
Die Krise des dramatischen Rückgangs der Bienenpopulationen war ein Top-Thema in den Medien und politischen Debatte in Europa. Eine Vielzahl von Schuldigen sind unter Beobachtung, einschließlich bestimmter Parasiten, Viren, Pestizide und der industriellen Landwirtschaft. Aber neue wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse aus britischen und französischen Forschungseinrichtungen, die in Science im Frühjahr 2012 veröffentlicht wurden, legen nahe, dass insbesondere Pestizide aus der Wirkstoffgruppe der Neonicotinoide einen der wichtigsten Faktoren darstellen. Syngenta und Bayer zwei Unternehmen, die diese Stoffe herstellen, führen einen umfassenden Lobby-Krieg gegen das teilweise Verbot dieser Stoffe, welches von der Europäischen Kommission vorgeschlagen wurde, nachdem die EFSA (European Food Safetey Authority) eine Bewertung der von diesen ausgehenden Risiken für Bienen vorgelegt hatte. Wird es der Pestizid-Lobby gelingen, die Mitgliedstaaten davon zu überzeugen, nicht für einem Verbot zu stimmen?

EU ETS myth busting: Why it can’t be reformed and shouldn’t be replicated

April 15, 2013 - 08:30
The report "EU ETS myth busting" has been co-published by more than 40 organisations, including Corporate Europe Observatory. It shows that far from being the ‘best tool’ to combat climate change, the EU ETS is inherently too weak to drive the sustainable energy transformation the EU needs in order to stay within global warming limits. It is systemically flawed and cannot be fixed.

Pesticides against pollinators

April 11, 2013 - 18:18
Private letters reveal Syngenta and Bayer’s furious lobbying against EU measures to save bees. Will the pesticide lobby succeed in convincing Member States to vote no to a ban?

Troika ‘with benefits’

April 4, 2013 - 11:10

Particularly significant is the proposal on structural reforms, first put forward last year by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy. Fundamentally the Commission would require eurozone member states to sign bilateral contracts – a so-called “Convergence and Competitiveness Instrument” – on a number of structural reforms. In exchange for compliance the member state would be rewarded with financial incentives.

BusinessEurope and the European Commission: in league against labor rights?

March 11, 2013 - 11:20

When European head of states meet on March 14 and 15 in Brussels for the European spring summit they will asses the 'progress' of reforms in EU member states and how they match with the “Country Specific Recommendations” the Commission gave to the member states. In this supplement we examine how the European Commission and BusinessEurope are working hand in hand to push for neoliberal structural reforms – with a particular focus on labor rights – within the so called European Semester (see below).

BusinessEurope and Economic Governance

March 8, 2013 - 11:17
Since the outbreak of the crisis, major reforms of the EU's economic governance have been introduced. These reforms are designed to lock in fiscal policy at a national level and enforce austerity at the European level.

Pages

Rio+20

More on Rio+20

Climate and Energy

More on Climate and Energy, More on Agribusiness

EU in crisis

More on EU in crisis

The financial lobby

More on The financial lobby, More on EU in crisis, More on Lobbycracy

Trade

More on Trade

Lobbycracy

More on Lobbycracy

Revolving Doors

More on Revolving Doors

Agribusiness

More on Climate and Energy, More on Agribusiness

EFSA

More on Lobbycracy, More on Revolving Doors, More on Agribusiness, More on EFSA

The Brussels Business: Who runs the EU?

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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