Join campaign against EU-India FTA

Caroline Lucas MEP (Greens, UK) challenged the Trade Commissioner designate Karel de Gucht on the issue of corporate influence over EU trade policy when he appeared before the European Parliament hearing yesterday (12 January 2010).

As law firms continue to evade transparency on their lobbying activities by boycotting the European Commission’s register of interest representatives, Corporate Europe Observatory decided to shed some light on the extent of law firm lobbying in Brussels.

Law firms are not required to register their activities – the Commission’s register remains voluntary for all interest representatives – and in July, just four law firms had registered.

New rules that could mean cuts to social expenditure, wages and workers' rights are currently being debated in the EU. If the proposals go ahead, decisions about such cuts could be made without public debate or discussion. Cuts would simply be imposed by EU technocrats. Such a decision undermines the very principles of democracy and threatens workers' rights and the welfare state.

This has to be stopped!

Brussels, 2nd December 2010 – RWE (npower), Goldman Sachs and derivatives lobby group ISDA have been given the dubious honour of being named the Worst EU Lobbyists of 2010. The results of the dual climate and finance categories of the Worst EU Lobbying Awards 2010 [1] were revealed today during a ceremony outside the ISDA office in Brussels.

A small club of international law firms, arbitrators and financial speculators are fuelling lawsuits by foreign investors against states that cost taxpayers billions of dollars and prevent legislation in the public interest. Emblematic cases include tobacco giant Philip Morris suing Uruguay and Australia over health warnings on cigarette packets, and Swedish energy multinational Vattenfall seeking $3.7bn from Germany following that country’s decision to phase-out nuclear energy. Profiting from Injustice uncovers a secretive but burgeoning legal industry which benefits from these disputes – at the expense of taxpayers, the environment and human rights.