Articles

Swedish MEP Carl Schlyter (Green) has told Corporate Europe Observatory that lobbyism is the main reason why the EU makes bad policies. Interviewed about his role as rapporteur for the European Parliament on the future of EU member states' bilateral investment treaties, he spoke about the corporate counter attack on his report, MEPs tabling amendments for industry and governments and about why he turned down requests for meetings with corporate lobbyists.

Press release from the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER EU):

Brussels, 21 March 2011 – An alliance of transparency campaigners today urged a root and branch overhaul of ethics rules for MEPs, following the revelations published in UK newspaper, the Sunday Times  (20 March) exposing how three MEPs were prepared to accept payments in return for tabling amendments in the European Parliament. [1]

A luxurious venue, corporate propaganda in the corridors, co-optation of the co-organisers, lobbyists in the room, civil society hardly present and heavy-weight politicians on stage: welcome to Syngenta's 4th Forum for the Future of Agriculture.

Campaigners today called for a complete overhaul of the rules governing the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), following allegations that four members of EFSA's management board have direct links to the food industry, causing conflicts of interest [1].

Lobby watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory has today sent a letter to EU Health and Consumer Commissioner John Dalli urging him to take action after EFSA defended the conflicts of interest and said they fell within the rules.

Corporate Europe Observatory has written to the EU Health and Consumer Commissioner John Dalli to urge him to overhaul the rules relating to conflicts of interest on the management board of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The letter follows CEO's report which highlighted how four members of EFSA's management board have links to the food industry or related lobby groups. EFSA defended the management board members, saying representatives were required according to EFSA founding regulations.

Read the full letter here:

On March 7, MEPs in the Parliament's economic affairs committee voted down the vast majority of the amendments inspired by the derivatives industry. This was thanks to the compromise amendments proposed by the rapporteur Pascal Canfin.The MEPs proposed specific measures to stop the irresponsible practice of trading naked sovereign debt instruments (including CDS) opposing what was proposed by the Federation of European Securities Exchanges and other lobby groups linked with the derivatives industry.

Brussels/London/Amsterdam, Tuesday 8 March - Supermarkets across the EU are being urged to boycott products containing soy labelled as "responsible" ahead of the introduction of a new EU-wide labelling scheme. A coalition of environmental and civil society groups have written to supermarkets and food companies across Europe including Unilever, Sainsbury’s, Carrefour and AHOLD, highlighting the reasons for their opposition to the Roundtable on Responsible Soy's plans [1].