Lobbying the EU

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

Conflicts of interest

New infographics expose corporate backgrounds of new EU commissioners

29.09.2014

Attac Austria and Corporate Europe Observatory are today launching new 'wanted posters' about prospective members of the new European Commission, to expose details of their corporate backgrounds or other aspects of their careers which make them unsuitable to act as commissioner and promote the interests of 500 million European citizens.

Conflicts of interest

Don't bet on the commissioner: the case of Karmenu Vella of Malta

10.09.2014

Karmenu Vella has been a member of the Maltese parliament since 1976, but that hasn't prevented him from also holding a variety of external business roles at the same time including within the gambling industry. These recent outside interests make him unsuitable to be a commissioner.

Revolving doors

MEPs in a spin with industry

01.09.2014

The new European Parliament is only weeks old and already three ex-MEPs from perhaps its most important committee have taken a spin in the revolving door to join the private sector. It's clear that the code of conduct for MEPs needs urgent reform.

Expert groups

CEO's submission to the European Ombudsman consultation on expert groups

29.08.2014

CEO submission to the European Ombudsman Consultation on the composition of Commission expert groups

Revolving doors

UK prime minister David Cameron nominates revolving door ex-lobbyist as EU commissioner

16.07.2014

David Cameron's nomination of a revolving door ex-lobbyist, Jonathan Hopkin Hill, as EU commissioner is bad news for Jean-Claude Juncker's newly-stated commitment to lobby transparency.

Revolving doors

NGOs respond to EU ombudsman and commission on revolving doors

26.06.2014

Read our response to the EU ombudsman in her inquiry into the commission's handling of the revolving door.

After breakthroughs in public debate, will new European parliament tackle corporate lobbying?

18.06.2014

As the dust has settled after the European Parliament elections last month, we're taking another look at the election debates in several member states where excessive corporate influence on EU decision-making and other concerns about the role of lobbying in Brussels became a major theme. We have previously reported on Austria and Denmark, but in Germany and Spain there were also big breakthroughs in the level of debate about these important problems.

EMA's revolving door with Big Pharma - alive and well

12.06.2014

As the management board of the European medicines agency votes today on its new clinical-trial data transparency policy, fresh concerns are being raised about how EMA handles revolving door cases.

EU Ombudsman puts Commission's corporate-dominated Expert Groups back under the spotlight with fresh investigation

22.05.2014

The recent investigation into the European Commission's influential advisory groups announced by the European Ombudsman is very good news. This could provide the impetus to ensure that when the Commission comes to review the rules next year, it is the public interest rather than corporate interests that are at the heart of EU decision making.

Lobby power surfaces as EU election campaign theme

22.05.2014

Secretive lobbying, excessive corporate influence on EU decision-making and other concerns about the role of lobbying in Brussels have become a major theme in the European Parliament election debates in Austria, Denmark and Germany and – to a lesser extent – Spain, Italy and other European countries. In this first of a series of blogs we zoom in on the debates in Denmark and Austria.

Looking back at the tobacco lobbying battle: Philip Morris' allies in the European Parliament

16.05.2014

The final version of the Tobacco Product Directive has just come into force. With the European Parliament elections approaching we look back at the lobbying battle around this directive and provide, for the first time, online access to (parts of) tobacco giant Philip Morris' leaked lobby strategy documents. We also offer a list of the ten MEPs from the current Parliament who have – according to the leaked documents – the strongest relations to Philip Morris.

Lobbying the EU

New infographics expose corporate backgrounds of new EU commissioners

More prospective commissioners with questions to answer

Don't bet on the commissioner: the case of Karmenu Vella of Malta

MEPs in a spin with industry

CEO's submission to the European Ombudsman consultation on expert groups

UK prime minister David Cameron nominates revolving door ex-lobbyist as EU commissioner

NGOs respond to EU ombudsman and commission on revolving doors

After breakthroughs in public debate, will new European parliament tackle corporate lobbying?

EMA's revolving door with Big Pharma - alive and well

EU Ombudsman puts Commission's corporate-dominated Expert Groups back under the spotlight with fresh investigation

Lobby power surfaces as EU election campaign theme

Looking back at the tobacco lobbying battle: Philip Morris' allies in the European Parliament

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