Research toolbox

Internet resources for investigative work on EU lobbying.

European Commission

  • European Commission - Rapid database
    European Commission - Press releases and other documents
  • European Commission - Document register
    Document search
  • EU Whoiswho
    EU Whoiswho, the official directory of the European Union. Useful if you're looking for contact details of some EC or EP official.
  • Public Consultations
    Documents and other information concerning ongoing and closed stakeholder consultations run by the European Commission.
  • Budget on line
    The EU budget.
  • Beneficiaries of EU grants
    The names of the beneficiaries of billions worth of grants and other forms of support, awarded (in budgetary terms: "committed") by the Commission every year, either directly or through executive agencies set up to help it run EU funded programmes. As of the year 2009, the site also contains procurement contracts and other administrative expenditure of the Commission, excluding staff costs.
  • European Commission - Public Contracts
    European Commission - Information on the Public Contracts managed by the European Commission.
  • EUR-Lex
    EUR-Lex provides direct free access to European Union law. Here you can consult the Official Journal of the European Union as well as the treaties, legislation, case-law and legislative proposals. You can also use the extensive search facilities available on EUR-Lex.
  • CURIA - home - Court of Justice of the European Union
    Search EU case law.

European Parliament

Other sources on EU and EU lobbying

  • Farmsubsidy.org
    The European Union spends around €55 billion a year on farm subsidies. This website helps people find out who gets what, and why.
  • Fishsubsidy.org
    Subsidies paid to owners of fishing vessels and others working in the fishing industry under the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy amount to more than €1 billion a year. Fishsubsidy.org helps people find out who gets what, and why. 
  • Cablegatesearch.net
    WikiLeaks Cablegate's cables: Full-text search.
  • Cablesearch
    Search the WikiLeaks US embassy cables. This tool is an initiative of the European Centre for Computer Assisted Research Eccar (starts in april 2010) and the Dutch-Flemish association for investigative journalists VVOJ.
  • European Union - Wobbing Europe
    How to use European freedom of information rules.
  • SourceWatch
    The Center for Media and Democracy publishes SourceWatch, this collaborative resource for citizens and journalists looking for documented information about the corporations, industries, and people trying to influence public policy and public opinion.
  • Lobbying Portal - Powerbase
    The Powerbase Lobbying Portal aims to shine a light on the activities of the thousands of lobbyists-for-hire that operate in the UK, Brussels and, to an extent, Washington. It provides an A-Z of lobbying consultancies, as well as individual lobbyists, detailing specific examples of their work - including deceptive lobbying campaigns - as well as the so called 'revolving door' between politics and the lobbying industry.
  • Lobbypedia
    Lobbypedia is an online wikipedia-like critical "encyclopedia on lobbying". Initiative by German lobby watchdog LobbyControl.
  • Statewatch European Monitoring & Documentation Centre on Justice and Home Affairs in the EU - SEMDOC
    Statewatch has been systematically monitoring and documenting the development of EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) policy since 1991. SEMDOC seeks to increase public understanding and debate about JHA policy through the provision of comprehensive information about decision-making and legislation.
  • Open Source Data Hub - eutransparency
    A list of data collections related to EU transparency (maintained by the open data community)
  • Numérisons les lobbyistes de l’Assemblée avec Transparence International France « Regards Citoyens
    Crowdsourcing initiative to identify lobbyists in the French parliament
  • ScraperWiki
    A community of programmers sifting information to give you the edge.
  • European Agenda website
    European Agenda is the platform for professional life in Brussels that reaches out to all stakeholders in the EU political process, such as the EU institutions, regional and company representations, think tanks and other experts in the field of EU affairs. 

Databases on EU lobbying

  • Search the EC/EP "Transparency Register"
    "It provides citizens with a direct and single access to information about who is engaged in activities aiming at influencing the EU decision making process, which interests are being pursued and what level of resources are invested in these activities." The Transparency register has been set up and is operated by the European Parliament and the European Commission. The Council of the European Union supports this initiative. See for reference the “Official documents” page.
  • European Parliament list of accredited lobbyists – Listed by organisation
    This list still runs parallel to the Transparency Register
  • EUROPA - Register of expert groups
    Register of Commission expert groups and other similar entities
  • Comitology Register
    The Commission is often empowered to implement EU legislation with the assistance of committees composed of representatives from EU countries. This register contains background information and documents relating to the work of these committees, including all documents forwarded to the EU Parliament for information or scrutiny.
  • EUROPA - SINAPSE
    SINAPSE is a web communication platform offering tools to promote a better use of expertise in EU policy making and governance (networking of advisory bodies, support to expert groups, ad-hoc/public consultations and e-debates, etc.). SINAPSE is a free public service of the European Commission.

Data on lobbying in the US

  • OpenSecrets.org
    Presenting political news, and the actual political positions of the parties and candidates, as well as disclosing how much campaign money they have raised and where it came from.
  • Lobby Disclosure Search
    US Congress lobbying disclosure website
  • Semi-Annual Reports - FARA
    Foreign Agents Registration Act.
  • Search State and Federal Campaign Contribution Data - TransparencyData.com
    Transparency Data is a central source for all federal and state campaign contributions made in the last twenty years. Here you can begin your search, find the information you need and then download records of what a candidate has received, what an individual has given, and how much companies and their employees have given.