Articles

It is now more than three months since the Commission launched its online register for lobbyists, and there are just over 370 entries. Exactly how good or bad that is in terms of compliance rate is difficult to judge, but it probably represents merely 5-10% of the total. The Commission has carefully avoided estimating the number of “interest representatives” (firms, industry lobby groups, NGOs, think-thanks, etc.) involved in lobbying the EU who should register.

In Front of a Statoil petrol station (Nobelvägan near corner Lönngatan) the traffic was stopped and waiters and waitresses serving organic food talked to the drivers. They had to choose between fuelling their car, or access to food for themselves and other people. There was understanding and sympathy for the alternative, although nobody decided to leave the car at the spot. Luckily the police was occupied by their preparations for the big ESF demonstration. It took them 30 minutes to find out about the action. Just when the activists decided to move on to the next stop, three vans arrived.

In June 2007, Global Forest Coalition, Corporate Europe Observatory and Friends of the Earth Europe organised four days of events on agrofuels, including debates in the European Parliament and the Dutch Parliament. Fifteen representatives from Southern organisations and movements were in Europe to testify on the impacts that EU agrofuel policy will have on their countries.This report is a record of their testimonies.

This report sets out critical concerns regarding the current push to develop agrofuels in transport, specially in industrialised countries.

It is now over two months since the European Commission’s voluntary lobbying register was launched and so far 285 organisations have registered.What do these early entrants show?

Industry lobbyists are dominating parts of the European law-making process, campaigners warned today (March 25) on the back of a new report analysing the membership of a number of Commission Expert Groups. Researchers also warn that the European Commission is impeding public accountability, by failing to reveal details of who sits on the Groups.

The EU’s FTA talks: is water included? CEO/TNI Water Justice Project --- draft paper, please do not circulate or quote ---