Press Releases
Brussels, 10 October 2011 – Finance sector lobbyists are pushing the European Commission to block tighter regulation of the EU’s carbon market, a new report from Corporate Europe Observatory and Carbon Trade Watch, published today, reveals[1].
EFSA accused of legal bullying by campaign group
Brussels, 27 September – Campaigners today accused the European Food Safety Authority of using legal threats to try and intimidate its critics, after receiving a legal threat from the EU agency [1].
Research and campaign group Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) received a letter from EFSA’s Head of the Legal and Regulatory Affairs Unit following publication of an article highlighting hidden conflicts of interest among members of EFSA’s expert panel responsible for food additives.
Brussels, Friday 23 September – Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) today launched its unique new guide to the hidden world of corporate lobbying in Brussels, highlighting the key players, the locations and the tactics used by big business to influence decision making in the European Union.
The new edition of the Lobby Planet to Brussels’ EU quarter features a guide to some of the biggest lobby players operating in Brussels, as well as three thematic tours, highlighting the carbon lobby, the finance lobby and the agribusiness lobby.
New research has today revealed further conflicts of interest among experts advising the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) about the safety of food additives, including aspartame [1]. Research by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and Réseau Environnement Santé/French Network on Health and Environment (RES) found that two of the new experts appointed by EFSA to the panel responsible for looking at food additives have failed to declare consulting activities for the food industry-funded think tank and lobby group International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI)
European Commission expected to approve seven biofuels certification schemes without public scrutiny
Brussels, 18 July 2011 – The European Commission is expected to tomorrow (19/7/11) release the names of seven voluntary certification schemes approved to certify biofuels according to the ‘sustainability criteria’ set out in the Renewable Energy Directive. This follows a lawsuit filed by environmental law organisation ClientEarth, Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE), FERN and Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) against the Commission's refusal to provide access to information regarding the approval of such schemes.
Brussels, 5 July 2011 – Members of the European Parliament voted today (Tuesday) on the European Markets Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR), the first ever legislative proposal put forward by the European Commission to regulate ‘Over-The-Counter’ (OTC) derivatives markets. NGOs welcome the agreed text as a first step to tackle excessive speculation in agriculture commodities by providing for transparency in completely opaque trillion Euro trade fuelling food price volatility and endangering the food security of millions in developing countries.
Brussels, 4 July 2011 – Four members of a key European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) scientific panel have "updated" their declarations of interests following a Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) report revealing undeclared conflicts of interest. CEO is calling for stricter rules on conflicts of interest at EFSA that outlaw consultancy and advisory work on a paid or unpaid basis for food companies, food industry associations, and think tanks funded by the food industry.
Brussels, 22 June 2011 – Millions of euros of lobby spending are missing from the lobby register declarations made by key industry groups, the ALTER-EU coalition has revealed today. On the eve of the launch of the new joint transparency register for the Parliament and Commission, new research by ALTER-EU analyses the European Commission’s lobby register declarations of the 40 biggest industry associations and found there to be under-reporting of lobby expenditure by a very significant number of groups, including BusinessEurope, Eurelectric and the Confederation of the Food and Drinks Industries (CIAA). ALTER-EU estimates that millions of euros could be missing from the declarations of many industry associations and it has drawn up a table of the 10 'worst offenders'.
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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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