Articles

Amidst growing concerns that the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) undermines urgent climate action, its corporate profiteers are spewing propaganda. Cut through the rhetoric with our myth-busting guide to the ECT.

The next big EU lobby battle is already underway: Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are among the companies making huge efforts to shape the upcoming Commission proposals to regulate the digital market. And the Brussels Bubble is already buzzing.

Our new report exposes the intense and concerted lobbying campaign by the gas industry to secure political, financial and regulatory support for its new climate ‘solution’: hydrogen from gas. While the EU claims the hydrogen economy will be ‘green’, industry has ensured that for the next few crucial decades it will be powered by polluting fossil fuels.

In this new episode we discuss how it's possible that European taxpayers money contributes to violations of human rights. Xavier Sol, director at Counter Balance discusses the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) outside of Europe and the bank’s intention to become the ‘EU Development Bank’.

An outcry from city governments has helped shelve the European Commission’s power grab over services. The Commission has failed to install a Services Notification Procedure, which would have given it advance veto power over new laws by regional and local governments, and could have further limited local democratic initiatives in areas as varied as affordable housing, energy supply and waste management.

Will the German Government use its EU Presidency to prioritise tax transparency? Time is running out to take action.

In this new EU Watchdog episode we discuss why and how it is possible that the European Parliament and ministers of Agriculture recklessly decided this week - under influence of the powerful agro-chemical lobby to go for the destructive status quo on European agriculture. Also we hear about the latest international scientific position on the needed paradigm shift when it comes to agriculture and food systems. And we hear from the perspective of farmers already practicing the sustainable farming methods.

Several recent revolving door scandals show the weakness of EU staff rules on public officials taking up roles – particularly lobbying roles – in the private sector. Only one in two hundred applications for employment during the notification period or while on leave are rejected by the Commission services.

The EU’s current model of agriculture directs billions in EU taxpayers’ money to fuel climate change, destroy biodiversity, and even undermine farmers’ livelihoods. While the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is approaching a key vote, freedom of information requests show that farmers and agribusiness lobby group Copa-Cogeca, along with pesticides and food industry giants, are doing their best to stop the CAP reform from aligning with the new Farm to Fork strategy of the Green Deal.