Press

636 fossil fuel lobbyists have been registered to the COP27 climate talks, affiliated with some of the world’s biggest polluting oil and gas giants.

Out of the publication yesterday afternoon of its ‘Work Programme 2023’ it became clear that the European Commission is breaking a political promise made two years ago to address the export of pesticides that are deemed too dangerous for human health in the EU and are therefore banned, but nevertheless exported on a massive scale to third countries like Brazil.

Ten civil society groups have published a report urging the EU to reject an upcoming proposal by the European Commission (EC) on the certification of carbon removals. The report concludes that this proposal is just another way for the oil and gas industry to keep fossil fuels flowing, risking catastrophic consequences.   

A significant number of European scientists active in biotechnology research, are actively lobbying for deregulating new gene editing techniques; While at the same time they have direct or indirect vested and undisclosed interests in the marketing of plants derived from those techniques via patents, patent applications or via links with the seed industry. That is revealed today by a new report commissioned by the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament: ‘Behind the smokescreen. Vested interests of EU scientists lobbying for GMO deregulation’. 

EU data website LobbyFacts.eu, coordinated by lobby watchdogs Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl, shines a light on just how much money has been spent on lobbying in the past seven years, revealing that the companies with the highest declared lobby budgets have increased their spending by a third over this time.   

Yesterday's revelations in The Guardian, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Le Monde, and others, illuminate the laissez-faire approach of the European Commission to revolving doors, conflicts of interest, privileged access, and corporate capture.

The European Commission presented today its long awaited proposal for a regulation to reduce pesticide use in Europe in order to avoid ecosystem collapse. The proposal  has been given a cautious welcome by food and farming  groups today. Campaigners see it as an urgent and welcome first step, but more is needed to put Europe on the path to a sustainable and healthy food system and protect the health of farm workers, citizens and the environment.

Almost two years after lobby watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) filed Freedom of Information (FOI) requests concerning the Covid-19 vaccine contracts and negotiations between the EU and pharmaceutical companies, the European Commission has published a final batch of 275 documents.