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European Parliament

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EU elections: Let's reclaim democracy, defend social rights, and protect the environment from corporate lobbying

After these European elections, it’s crucial to ensure our representatives work for the people, not corporations. Corporate lobbyists dominate EU policy-making, threatening democracy, the environment, and public health. We need to work together to stop the corporate capture of European politics. Join us in protecting our democracy by supporting our election campaign efforts.

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Recent publications

Bayer profile
Food & agriculture

Bayer’s Toxic Trails

Market power, monopolies, and the global lobbying of an agrochemical giant
23.09.2024
Corporate Europe Observatory takes a deep dive into the German agrochemical giant Bayer. Whether it’s over glyphosate, GMOs, or global warming, we follow the company’s trail of lobbying to reveal how it attempts to capture public policy to pursue its private interests. Follow Bayer’s toxic trail as it maintains monopolistic control of the seed and pesticides markets, fights off regulatory challenges, tries to limit legal liability, and exercises political influence.
Rally in front of the EU Commission. Three activists wear white masks and signs saying "I love oil", "I love gas" and "I love coal".
Climate

EU OMBUDSMAN RULING SHOWS GAS INDUSTRY ADVISORY GROUP NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE - TIME TO SCRAP IT?

20.09.2024
The European Ombudsman is “not convinced” at the excuses given by the EU Energy Platform to exclude non-corporate members from its controversial Industry Advisory Group (IAG), and calls on the Commission to “reassess” its mandate going forward as it is not “appropriate”.
photo of von der Leyen com o texto "Revolving doors and far-right ties: Controversial figures among new EU Commission nominees"
Lobbying the EU

Revolving doors and far-right ties

Controversial figures among new EU Commission nominees
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.
Deadly deregulation
Other battles

EU Ombudsman demands a full lobby ban for Commission’s Regulatory Scrutiny Board

17.09.2024
The European Ombudsman has called for a full ban on meetings with lobbyists by members of the European Commission’s Regulatory Scrutiny Board, in response to a March 2023 complaint from Corporate Europe Observatory.
cartoon showing Ursula von der leyen in 2019 with the words: how it started. Von der Leyen is giving a speech to young climate and environmental just activists saying "I have been inspired by the passion, conviction and energy of those millions of young people who have made their voices heard in our streets and dfound their way to our hearts". The second half of the cartoon says: How it's going. It shows von der Leyen giving a speech to businessmen holding bags of money in a very polluted environment and sa
Lobbying the EU

'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.
A picture showing a field of grain. Highlighted in turquoise, the text reads: " OpEd by Hans van Sharen and Irene Keizer".
Food & agriculture

A new agri mega merger, where are political rightwingers when farmers need them?

05.09.2024
While most people were sunbathing or watching the Olympic games, the merger between Bunge and Viterra received a green light from the European Commission which is a huge step in having approval globally. Who? Bunge? What? Right, hold on!
A blue visual showing the flag of the EU with vampire teeth. The text reads: "Ms von der Leyen, we need lobbying rules with teeth!"
Lobbying the EU

Open Letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

High time to act on enforcing lobbying rules
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.
The ADF was instrumental in annulling the right to abortion in the United States at the federal level in 2022, due to a judgment by the Supreme Court. (Photo: Matt Hrkac, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Lobbying the EU

Discrimination is not a fundamental freedom

Do not let US far right lobby groups pervert the meaning of human rights
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.
A cartoon by Ralph showing a person from Big Polluters Ltd saying "We aren't driving climate destruction, we are just putting carbon into the atmosphere for capture later... we are thinking ahead!" on the right hand-side of the visual, a text box reads: "op-ed by Marcella Via"
Lobbying the EU

Polluters put before people in EU's 'industrial deal'

01.07.2024
In February 2024, big polluting corporations, led by the chemicals lobby group CEFIC, launched the 'EU Industrial Deal', or 'Antwerp Declaration', which pushes for business-friendly EU decision-making, deregulation of toxic products, and more public subsidies for business as usual.
Competitiveness fish
Climate

EU civil society says "It's time to prioritise needs of people and the environment"

120 organisations sign letter to EU and member state leaders
26.06.2024
As EU leaders meet at tomorrow's European Council summit, 120 civil society organisations demand they prioritise the needs of people and the environment, not corporate greed.
Logo of EU Watchdog Radio, and the words: Episode 52: The Alliance Attacking Freedom and a photo of Donald Trump pointing in the direction of the camera
Lobbying the EU

The Alliance Attacking Freedom

EU Watchdog Radio Episode 52
10.06.2024
During the last EU legislature, the rise of far-right forces has come hand in hand with the stigmatisation, harassment, and violence against women and LGBTQI+ people. Find out more about the North American ultra conservative groups behind it in this podcast hosted by Marcella Via.
Higher target for more harmful pesticides
Food & agriculture

How did political groups in the EP vote on pesticide reduction?

These score cards show the good and the bad
29.05.2024
Ahead of the EU elections, PAN Europe, Friends of the Earth Europe, and Corporate Europe Observatory present a set of voting score cards by EU political group on the pesticide reduction proposal. These score cards allows the public to see in a glance which groups defended for instance the health of farmers, their right to independent advice on pesticides, citizens' right to clean water - and those who didn't.
All articles

Visit our EU lobby data website

Lobbyfacts.eu Exposing lobbying in the European institutions - screenshot of a file
Visit our EU lobby data website

EU Watchdog Radio

Discover all podcast episodes here
Logo of EU Watchdog Radio, and the words: Episode 52: The Alliance Attacking Freedom and a photo of Donald Trump pointing in the direction of the camera
EU Watchdog Radio Episode 52: The Alliance Attacking Freedom
Listen now

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institutions and corporations.

Every single donation helps us fight the hold of Big Business over the EU.

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Flagship reports

Cold homes, hot profits cover image

Cold homes, hot profits

24.10.2023

From Rome to Prague, Brussels to London, politicians are welcoming fossil fuel companies as advisers instead of arsonists, failing to recognise their vested interests and their role in creating, prolonging, and profiting from the energy crisis. 

Barriers with "Single Market Enforcement" stand on a green background with the title "30 years of EU Single Market: Time to remove the obstacles to social-ecological transformation" on a blue wavy background

30 Years of EU Single Market

21.06.2023

Our new report exposes how corporations have used the EU Single Market to obstruct progressive legislation like social housing measures, progressive healthcare reforms, protection from harmful substances as well bans on short-distance flights.

cover long German great hydrogen race

Germany’s great hydrogen race

23.03.2023

Our new report maps Germany’s 'brave new hydrogen world'. Which looks a lot like the old world: prolonging fossil fuel use and continuing its extractivist logic. We show who is driving the German – and thus EU – hydrogen hype, who benefits, and the negative impacts for prospective green hydrogen export countries.

Inside job cover

Inside job

08.06.2022

Find out how a proposed EU law that seeks to hold companies accountable for abuses in their supply chains has been watered down by corporate lobbyists, with assistance from the EU's business-friendly ‘Better regulation’ agenda.

Cover of pesticide report, man spreading toxic fumes

A loud lobby for a silent spring

17.03.2022

In order to tackle the grave threat of the biodiversity crisis, the EU will table a proposal for targets for the reduction of pesticide use. This has put the pesticide industry into survival mode. A new leaked document from pesticides lobby group CropLife Europe shows that while it talks a big talk about backing the Green Deal, in reality it is employing a wide variety of lobbying tactics to undermine ambitious, binding targets.

Cover

Under the influence (II)

20.12.2021

In January 2022, France will take on the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU. Yet this Presidency has been prepared in close collaboration with the French corporate sector, and is setting a policy agenda that strongly reflects business demands. It looks set to be a captured presidency.

All reports
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Charitable status

Corporate Europe Observatory is recognised by the Dutch tax office as a charitable institution (ANBI) under fiscal number 806634558. Legal and fiscal information can be found here.

Who funds us

Our funding policy rejects funding from EU institutions and corporations in order to maintain the independence of our research. See which grant-making foundations are supporting us.

Lobby transparency

Corporate Europe Observatory is registered in the EU lobby transparency register under identification number 5353162366-85.