Articles

Lobbyists for many industries are opportunistically repackaging old demands, or developing new ones, and using the Corona Crisis to justify them, even though in many cases there is no clear link to the health emergency. We set up Corona Lobby Watch to monitor the moves of 'Coronawashing' lobbyists .

A detailed summary of the findings and conclusions of two extensive reports on research public-private partnerships in the EU: the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and the Bio-Based Industries (BBI) Joint Undertakings.

The coronavirus pandemic is affecting the lives of billions across the globe; yet corporate lobbyists in Brussels are determined not to let a good crisis go to waste.

As governments take action to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent economic collapse big law firms urge corportions to challenge governments' emergency measures in order to defend its profits. In a parallel corporate justice system called ISDS states could soon face multi-million dollar lawsuits.

BBI is a public-private partnership between lobby groups representing the agribusiness, forestry, biotechnology, chemical, and fossil fuel industries on the one hand, and the European Commission’s DG Research & Innovation, ostensibly to help build a “sustainable low-carbon economy”.

We zoom in Shell's promises of becoming a net-zero company by 2050 using the full toolbox of false 'solutions': gas, CCS, carbon markets and ‘natural climate solutions’. With millions spent on lobbying and privileged access to EU decision makers, Shell's rhetoric is hoping to distract from the reality of its commitment to increase oil and gas production

Corporate Europe Observatory filed a complaint to the Register regarding the inaccurate, low-ball lobby spending figures declared by both Monsanto and its lobby firm FleishmanHillard. In response the Register’s secretariat has now announced it will present new guidelines to make sure registrants will include their lobbying spending at national level if it concerns EU policy-making. This should generate a far more realistic picture of corporate lobby spending in the EU.

This report asks whether the IMI’s health research truly delivers tangible benefits for citizens, such as better access to health innovations, or whether it is rather focused on enhancing the competitiveness of the largest pharmaceutical corporations?

EU Watchdog Radio is a new podcast hosted jointly by CEO and Counter Balance. In the fifth episode, we talk with two experts from civil society organisations about the role of big financial institutions or companies in the economic recovery and Green Deal. Red line: there is enough money to finance climate proof and socially just change, but we need more scrutiny of how and where that money is being used.