Lobbying the EU

How vulnerable are the EU institutions to undue corporate influence, and what gaps exist in EU lobbying and ethics rules?

Tobacco industry interference within the European Parliament

24.01.2025

Together with the Smoke Free Partnership (SFP), CEO has written to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to express concern about tobacco industry interference within the Parliament. Transparency data show that Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) held more than 100 meetings with tobacco industry lobbyists during the previous legislative period (2019-2024). Within the first six months after the June 2024 elections, there were already 33 registered meetings between MEPs and Big Tobacco. The letter highlights the importance of the European Parliament adhering to Article 5.3 of the

Tech

Bias baked in

09.01.2025

Setting ‘harmonised standards’ for artificial intelligence is a crucial element of the EU’s AI Act. But who develops these standards? CEO reveals how Europe’s standard-setting bodies dealing with AI are heavily skewed towards the tech industry.

EU trade deals

Commission’s ‘NGO gag order’ will boost corporate lobby power

17.12.2024

The Commission’s new guidelines for funding for NGOs are designed to silence critical voices, and they will boost the dominance of corporate lobby groups in EU decision-making.

Defunding NGOs that lobby the EU will be profoundly undemocratic

16.12.2024

Two weeks ago ‘Orbanesque emails’ suddenly started landing in the inboxes of dozens of Brussels-based green NGOs.

16 steps towards deregulation

21.11.2024

Under the slogan of ‘competitiveness’, the new Commission will see it as their main task to reduce the ‘regulatory burden’. What they are gearing up to is a single-minded deregulatory quest will hack away at public interest rules – from social rights to the environmental protections – that corporations decide are too ‘inhibiting’.

We have compiled a list of 16 different ways this will unfold.

Von der Leyen's 'mission letters' let slip deregulation agenda of next commissioners

31.10.2024

Orbán’s oil funded thinktank is murky on transparency

18.10.2024

As a network of Hungarian organisations continues to try to mainstream Orbán's far right policies in Europe, his think tank MCC Brussels – financed by Russian oil earnings – has so far managed to avoid transparency over its budget and lobby spending.

The EU's deregulation frenzy: what's at stake?

07.10.2024

Have you ever heard of the concept of 'double deregulation'? If you think it has nothing to do with you and will never impact your life, listen to our new podcast episode where we show it's all part of the social and ecological dumping plan of the new EU Commission.

Conflicts of interest

Revolving doors and far-right ties

17.09.2024

We have reviewed the portfolios of the Commissioners-designate and found cases of revolving-door conflicts of interest and far-right affiliations that raise concerns.

Single market

'Competitiveness': inside the troubling corporate blueprint for the coming Commission

16.09.2024

‘Competitiveness’ appears to be the uncontested yardstick for the EU, based on the Commission’s plans for the next five years. This is a big win for corporate lobby groups and their concerted campaigns, with negative implications for climate change, the environment, democracy, equality, and social rights.

Lobby transparency

Open Letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

15.07.2024

Transparency watchdogs LobbyControl, Transparency International, The Good Lobby, and Corporate Europe Observatory sent an open letter to President von der Leyen demanding she properly implement and enforce transparency rules needed to improve the governance of European policy-making.

Discrimination is not a fundamental freedom

05.07.2024

A reply to the Alliance Defending Freedom - an anti-abortionist organisation that defends hate speech with a strong presence on the Brussels lobbying stage.