Articles

In March 2010, the European Commission approved BASF's genetically modified Amflora potato for cultivation in the European Union. CEO has investigated the background to this decision, including the controversial scientific advice provided by the European Food Safety Authority on the use of antibiotic resistant marker genes. CEO found that more than half of EFSA's GMO panel had conflicts of interest, as defined by the OECD. Their advice, which contravened WHO guidelines, contributed to the approval of the GM potato - and is likely to lead to the approval of similar GM crops in the near future.

Is it right that central bankers should be members of lobby groups or think tanks where they meet with the chief executives of big private banks to produce advice on banking regulation for the rest of the world? Is it a problem if bankers walk back and forth between public and private office? These two questions are worth asking at the current time as Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank has handed over control to Mario Draghi.

Voting closes today for the European Public Affairs Awards, the self-congratulatory awards organised by Brussels lobby consultancy firms and their lobby groups EPACA and SEAP.

UK politics has over the last weeks been shaken by a lobbying scandal that led to the resignation of Defence Secretary Liam Fox. Fox allowed a close friend, Adam Werrity, access to government meetings at the highest level.

In the latest dramatic episode in the escalating eurocrisis, the troubled Dexia bank has been dismantled and split up into smaller bits (including a large 'bad bank'), most of which have been nationalised and now belong to the French and Belgian governments. Dexia shares had dropped from 20 euro to less than one euro when trading was terminated last week.

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.

Today, 28 September 2011, the European Parliament votes on six legislative acts on "economic governance", also known as the "six-pack on economic governance". Corporate Europe Observatory, together with other European public interest organisations and trade unions calls on MEPs to reject the six proposals, and to join forces with social movements in our attempt to set Europe on a new course, a course of democracy, welfare and social rights.

CEO has responded to EFSA's threat to take legal action regarding the use of an illustration on Corporate Europe Observatory’s website . EFSA claims this illustration constitutes an “unauthorised use of EFSA’s logo and name” and that this entitles EFSA to take legal action “to ensure that the use ceases”.