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Three business men walking in the rain

We expose the power
of corporate lobbying
in the EU.

Recent publications

EU Staff revolving doors
Lobbying the EU

From Facebook friends to lobby consultants

22.10.2020
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.
Pharma vaccines
Lobbying the EU

Power and profit during a pandemic

21.09.2020
In a pandemic the pharmaceutical industry is hailed as a saviour; yet the industry is using the crisis to lock in its problematic, profit-maximising model. Pushing for public money with no-strings-attached, the industry’s wish-list could restrict access to COVID-19 drugs and vaccines, prolonging the pandemic in the name of profit.
Fossil Free Politics

Public debate: Will the EU protect Europe from fossil fuel lock in? The case of gas and the TEN-E

05.11.2020
Friends of the Earth Europe, CEO, Greenpeace and Food and Water Europe are hosting a public debate questioning how the EU will protect Europe from fossil fuel lock in, with a focus on the case of gas and the Ten-E regulation.
Corona Lobby Watch
Lobbying the EU

Corona Lobby Watch

01.05.2020
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 .
The Balearic island Formentera
Other battles

Wakeup call for the European Commission in its failed power grab over local services

04.11.2020
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.
podcast logo
Finance

EU Watchdog Radio: Episode 13

12.11.2020
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’.
All articles

Introducing:
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 if in many cases there is no clear link to the health emergency.

CEO has set up Corona Lobby Watch in order to monitor the moves of 'Coronawashing' lobbyists.

Find out more!

Issues we work on

Food & agriculture

How do agribusiness corporations impact decisions on our food system?

Trade

How is big business using the EU's trade and investment agreements to sideline people, planet and democracy?

Lobbying the EU

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

Finance

What influence does the financial lobby have over banking regulation and other financial markets?

Climate

How are polluting industries lobbying against real climate action?

Other battles

Online privacy, clean air, affordable housing, whistleblower protection and much more: which other corporate lobby fights are putting EU public interest on the line?

The corporate lobby tour

Sometimes stories in the news can make you wonder who is really pulling the strings. This 10-minute video exposes the role corporate lobby groups have in EU decision-making: who they are, how they get what they want, and how they affect you and others like you all over Europe. From the food on your plate, to rules for bankers, to the chemicals allowed in everyday products. Watch, learn, and share!

Help us stay independent

We are a small team that works fully independently of funding from EU
institutions and corporations.
Every single donation helps us fight the hold of Big Business over the EU.

Donate

Flagship reports

Lobby Planet Brussels

29.06.2017
There are an estimated 25,000 lobbyists working in Brussels; most of whom are representing the interests of corporations and their lobby groups. CEO’s Lobby Planet Guide takes you on a tour of the EU Quarter to explain the many – and often shady – methods of corporate lobbying used to influence decision making in the European Union.
Captured States report

Captured states

06.02.2019
Member states play a hugely important role in EU decision-making, but too often they act as middlemen for corporate interests. This report combines case studies, original research, and analysis to illustrate the depth of the problem – and what you can do about it.
cap

CAP vs Farm to Fork

12.10.2020
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.
Tainted love cover A4

Tainted love

23.06.2020
Germany will shortly take over the EU Council Presidency at a critical time. A new report looks at the German Government’s record in its own EU decision-making and exposes how time and again it is too close to corporate interests.
top image

In the Name of Innovation

25.05.2020
A detailed summary of the findings and conclusions of two extensive reports on research public-private partnerships in the EU: the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and the Bio-Based Industries (BBI) Joint Undertakings.
BBI report top image

Research & Destroy

22.05.2020
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”.
All reports
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Charitable status
Corporate Europe Observatory is recognised by the Dutch tax office as a charitable institution (ANBI) under fiscal number 806634558. Legal and fiscal information can be found here.

Who funds us
Our funding policy rejects funding from EU institutions and corporations in order to maintain the independence of our research. See which grant-making foundations are supporting us.

Lobby transparency
Corporate Europe Observatory is registered in the EU lobby transparency register under identification number 5353162366-85.