Under the radar lobbying must be tackled

Brussels, 24 May – Transparency campaigners today urged the ad hoc working group examining MEPs' code of conduct, which meets tomorrow, to investigate the role of cross-party MEP-industry forums, after research found that at least 15 of such groups are active in the Parliament but are not regulated [1].

Corporate Europe Observatory found that many of the groups, which bring together MEPs and business representatives on specific issues, are run by corporate lobbyists, providing  privileged access and influence over policy issues.

Campaigners argue that the role of the groups is not dissimilar from Parliamentary Intergroups and say that MEP-industry groups should be subject to the same rules as Intergroups, including transparency about their financial support.

Lobby transparency campaigner Olivier Hoedeman said:
“A high number of these MEP-industry forums have been set up by corporate lobbyists with the clear intention of influencing the work of the Parliament. Yet these groups are completely unregulated and many do not declare how they are funded or how much they receive. If the Buzek working group is to improve trust in the Parliament, it must address the lobbying that happens through groups like these.”

Corporate Europe Observatory found that a number of the groups have been set up by corporate lobbyists [2] and that some of the groups blatantly state on their websites that they exist to “influence the legislative process” [3]. MEP-industry forums are an important tool in industry lobbying to influence Parliament decisions and should therefore be covered by transparency and ethics rules, the report concludes.

And while Intergroups are prevented from using the name or the logo of the Parliament in any way which might make them look like an official body, MEP-industry groups are unregulated, and many include a reference to the European Parliament in their title, creating potential confusion [4].

The ad hoc working group led by Parliamentary President Jerzy Buzek was set up to examine the code of conduct for MEPs as well as improving transparency around relations between MEPs and lobbyists, after four MEPs were caught in a newspaper sting operation appearing to be prepared to accept cash in return for tabling amendments. The group is set to meet on Wednesday 25 May. Two of the MEPs have since resigned.
ENDS

Contact

Olivier Hoedeman, email: olivier@corporateeurope.org, tel: +32 (0)2 893 0930, Mobile: +32 (0)474 486 545

Notes

[1] Lobbying under the radar – MEP-industry forums, Corporate Europe Observatory, 24 May 2011, http://www.corporateeurope.org/lobbycracy/content/2011/05/lobbying-under...

[2] A senior consultant at Burson-Marsteler set up the Transatlantic Policy Network and the European Internet Foundation; while finance lobbyist John Houston ran the European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum (now run by the European Banking Federation).

[3] The Forum in the European Parliament for Construction openly states: “With the ever-increasing development of EU policies affecting industry it is necessary for market participants to have contact with EU legislators in order to exchange views and influence the legislative process.”

[4] For example, the European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum, the European Parliament Ceramics Forum, the Forum in the European Parliament for Construction.