Press

Brussels, Friday 23 September – Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) today launched its unique new guide to the hidden world of corporate lobbying in Brussels, highlighting the key players, the locations and the tactics used by big business to influence decision making in the European Union.

The new edition of the Lobby Planet to Brussels’ EU quarter features a guide to some of the biggest lobby players operating in Brussels, as well as three thematic tours, highlighting the carbon lobby, the finance lobby and the agribusiness lobby.

Brussels, Friday 23 September – Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) today launched its unique new guide to the hidden world of corporate lobbying in Brussels, highlighting the key players, the locations and the tactics used by big business to influence decision making in the European Union.

The new edition of the Lobby Planet to Brussels’ EU quarter features a guide to some of the biggest lobby players operating in Brussels, as well as three thematic tours, highlighting the carbon lobby, the finance lobby and the agribusiness lobby.

New research has today revealed further conflicts of interest among experts advising the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) about the safety of food additives, including aspartame [1]. Research by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and Réseau Environnement Santé/French Network on Health and Environment (RES) found that two of the new experts appointed by EFSA to the panel responsible for looking at food additives have failed to declare consulting activities for the food industry-funded think tank and lobby group International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI)

Brussels, 18 July 2011 – The European Commission is expected to tomorrow (19/7/11) release the names of seven voluntary certification schemes approved to certify biofuels according to the ‘sustainability criteria’ set out in the Renewable Energy Directive. This follows a lawsuit filed by environmental law organisation ClientEarth, Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE), FERN and Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) against the Commission's refusal to provide access to information regarding the approval of such schemes.

Brussels, 13 July 2011 – The European Ombudsman has found that the European Commission "failed to adequately examine potential conflicts of interest" when it employed former MEP Pat Cox as a Special Adviser to Commissioner Meglena Kuneva from 2007 to 2009. The finding follows a complaint registered by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) in February 2010. CEO raised concerns about a possible conflict with Cox's lobbying work for Microsoft, Michelin, Pfizer, lobby consultancy, APCO as well as his own lobby firm ‘’European Integration Solutions’’ (EIS).

Brussels, 5 July 2011 – Members of the European Parliament voted today (Tuesday) on the European Markets Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR), the first ever legislative proposal put forward by the European Commission to regulate ‘Over-The-Counter’ (OTC) derivatives markets. NGOs welcome the agreed text as a first step to tackle excessive speculation in agriculture commodities by providing for transparency in completely opaque trillion Euro trade fuelling food price volatility and endangering the food security of millions in developing countries.

Brussels, 4 July 2011 – Four members of a key European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) scientific panel have "updated" their declarations of interests following a Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) report revealing undeclared conflicts of interest. CEO is calling for stricter rules on conflicts of interest at EFSA that outlaw consultancy and advisory work on a paid or unpaid basis for food companies, food industry associations, and think tanks funded by the food industry.

Brussels, 27 June 2011 – Europe's future strategy on access to raw materials – due to be voted on in the Parliament on Thursday 30 June – is being shaped by MEPs with vested interests in related industry sectors, a new report from Corporate Europe Observatory, published today, reveals.

Brussels, 22 June 2011 – Millions of euros of lobby spending are missing from the lobby register declarations made by key industry groups, the ALTER-EU coalition has revealed today.