EU institutions

If you can’t beat them, join them. Perhaps this was the thinking behind consultants and lobbyists working for the agrochemical and food industry, who have joined the newly created European Food Forum, a so-called MEP-industry forum. In this article the role of the European Food Forum is examined in detail.

After seeing his first pick for Commissioner rejected by the European Parliament due to concerns of conflict of interests, French President Macron seems to have doubled down with a potentially even more controversial nomination: Thierry Breton, CEO of Atos.

Some of the candidates put forward to become the new European Commissioners are of concern due to potential conflicts of interest – from share ownership in fossil fuels and finance to overly close relationships with business – and corruption probes, while MEPs complain of a lack of a robust transparency process to properly scrutinise the interests of the Commissioners-designate.

In preparation for the complicated process of hiring 27 new EU Commissioners, Corporate Europe Observatory presents an outline of the ideal profile of Commissioner candidates.

Authoritarian right wing parties look set to do well at the upcoming European elections. But there is a huge gap between their 'anti-elite' rhetoric and the reality,

China is flexing its soft power in Europe, cultivating networks of think tanks and lobbyists, in particular to promote its flagship programme the 'New Silk Road'. Meanwhile European failures in lobby transparency mean these influencing activities take place far beyond the light of public scrutiny.

Two years after the suspension of TTIP, the EU is preparing mandates for new trade talks with the US. Once again corporate lobby groups are working to set the agenda, while the European Commission covers over its links with big business.

Excessive corporate influence over policy-making remains a serious threat to the public interest across Europe and at the EU level, warns a new report by our partner organisation ALTER-EU.

The EU member state vote on the EU-Japan trade agreement is close, but not all interest groups had an equal say when the deal was hashed out. Official figures from the European Commission show that big business had many more meetings with the EU trade negotiators than small businesses, trade unions and other civil society actors did.

Who influences decision-making in the European Union? And how? Welcome to the complex and often shady realm of corporate lobbying, which you can now tour from the comfort of your sofa. Or while queuing for frites. Or even on the go in Brussels, following the virtual route on foot!

One third of the people who occupied top positions in the Directorate‑General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA) during the period 2008-2017 either came from the financial industry or went there after their time at the Commission.

The appointment of Martin Selmayr as new Secretary-General of the European Commission took almost everybody by surprise. This new role makes Selmayr the head of some 33,000 commission staff and, thusly, a crucial actor in processes that can support or hinder public interest policy-making.