Lobbycracy
Brussels is at the centre of EU decision-making and as such attracts thousands of lobbyists, promoting the interests of big business. Easily outnumbering and outspending public interest groups, corporate lobbyists are also given privileged access by the European institutions. The emerging lobbycracy results in flawed policies that put commercial interests above those of people and the environment and undermines the very basis of democracy.
Giving the European Commission a central and dominant role in EU economic governance, without proper democratic control neither at the European nor at the national level, would be a dream-come-true for industry hardliners BusinessEurope, but a disaster for Europe.
The Euro Pact is a major step towards a corporate model of economic governance in the European Union, which will result in a major attack on social rights and living standards. So far, it looks like the big business lobby is winning the policy battle, at the expense of the rest of society.
Campaigners today called for a complete overhaul of the rules governing the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), following allegations that four members of EFSA's management board have direct links to the food industry, causing conflicts of interest [1].
Lobby watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory has today sent a letter to EU Health and Consumer Commissioner John Dalli urging him to take action after EFSA defended the conflicts of interest and said they fell within the rules.
Four board members at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have close links with the food industry, creating a potential conflict of interests, according to new research by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) published today [1].
CEO warns that the links could compromise the independence of the agency which is responsible for assessing the safety of food in the European Union – including controversial genetically modified food and feed and pesticides.
EU member state parliaments look set to lose important powers to control economic and social policy as a result of the EU’s response to the economic crisis according to a new article from Corporate Europe Observatory which analyses the proposals, likely to come into force in 2011, and warns that they will lead to a reduction in democratic accountability and public influence.
Brussels, 19 January 2011 -- EU member state parliaments look set to lose important powers to control economic and social policy as a result of the EU’s response to the economic crisis according to a new article from Corporate Europe Observatory which analyses the proposals, likely to come into force in 2011, and warns that they will lead to a reduction in democratic accountability and public influence.
Using the pretext of the “euro crisis”, the European Commission and the Council have put forward proposals to give the EU new powers to deal with core welfare issues, including social benefits and wages, under a new technocratic procedure. There is an urgent need for a democratic debate throughout the EU, in particular on alternatives to the austere neoliberal model of ‘economic governance’ that is now being pushed by the Commission and the Council. And it will require a broad-based social struggle to make the alternatives a reality.
Big carbon polluters succeeded in persuading a British MEP to ensure they benefited from billions of euro in public subsidies, according to a new report published today by Corporate Europe Observatory and UK-group Spinwatch[1].
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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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