Lobbying the EU

How vulnerable are the EU institutions to undue corporate influence, and what gaps exist in EU lobbying and ethics rules?

BBI report top image

Research & innovation

Research & Destroy

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”.

IMI report top image

More Private than Public

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.

Corona Lobby Watch

Corona Lobby Watch

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 .

Man walking in the shadow

Coronawash alert!

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.

Croatia INA

Fossil free politics

Croatia’s love affair with dirty energy

Council presidency sponsorship, high-profile events, new fossil fuel investments…. Corporate Europe Observatory turns a quizzical eye on the Croatian Government’s love affair with the fossil fuel industry.

Farkas, Cross and the revolving door

Financial crisis

Banking regulator scores another own goal

After letting its Director leave to head finance lobby group AFME, the European Banking Authority chose to nominate a successor who used to be a lobbyist for the same group. That is just of one of the reasons for the European Parliament to reject Gerry Cross as head of the EBA.

Transparify- 5 stars

Corporate Europe Observatory awarded 5 star transparency rating

Corporate Europe Observatory is proud to announce that our funding transparency has been evaluated by Transparify and awarded the highest rating, 5 stars.

oil rig in coast

Captured states

Croatian Council Presidency oiled by fossil fuel interests

At a time when the climate crisis is dominating world headlines, for the Croatian Council presidency to accept sponsorship from a fossil fuel company absolutely beggars belief.

EBA Director Farkas (right) and EBA Chair Campa (left) are in the spotlight over revolving doors problems. (Edited image. Photos: EBA)

Revolving doors

European Banking Authority disregards conflicts of interest

Internal documents reveal a real disregard for ethics rules at the European Banking Authority. Revolving door scandals include the Director’s move to a powerful finance lobby group, and a former big bank lobbyist as Chair.

Captured states

Will Croatian EU Presidency boost transparency in the Council of the EU?

Civil society from Croatia and across the EU have demanded that the upcoming Croatian Presidency of the EU puts transparency front and centre of its agenda.

Charles Michel letter teaser

Captured states

Time to stop business-as-usual at the European Council

As Charles Michel takes office as European Council President, ALTER-EU sets him a series of challenges.

Commissioner-designate Thierry Breton

Conflicts of interest

Thierry Breton, the corporate commissioner?

After seeing his first pick for Commissioner rejected by the European Parliament due to concerns of conflict of interests, French President Macron seems to have doubled down with a potentially even more controversial nomination: Thierry Breton, CEO of Atos.

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