Over 50 NGO ask Barroso to curb excessive influance of corporate lobby groups
Keywords:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korruption_in_der_EU (unfortunately this article only exists in German so far)
Amsterdam, October 25 2004 In an open letter released today, over 50 NGOs from more than a dozen EU countries call upon Commission President Barroso "to act immediately to curb the excessive influence of corporate lobby groups over EU policy making".
The open letter is intended as a first step in a hopefully increasingly broad civil society campaign for rolling back the excessive influence of corporate lobby groups over EU policies.
Sign-ons (from European groups) are still very welcome! Send an email to: ceo at corporateeurope org
The open letter is online at: http://www.corporateeurope.org/barroso.html
Please add (only important) arguments (with immediate rebuttals, if needed) for or against signing this letter:
Observations:
It isn't a call against lobbying, but for limiting the excessive influence of corporate lobby groups
- FFII, if seen as a lobby group can be classified on one hand as an NGO because of it's grass-roots component and as an private interest group because it represents the interest of European SME.
- Because this call is already signed by a broad variety of NGOs, it can't be used to melt us together with any specific kind of lobby group and use it against us
Positions taken in the call:
- States that over fifteen thousand full-time lobbyists now operate in Brussels, a large majority representing business interests.
- States that lobby groups succeed all too frequently in postponing, weakening or blocking sorely needed progress in EU social, environmental and consumer protections.
- Welcomes the "Code of Conduct for Commissioners" as step in the right direction, but not sufficient.
- Demands that all European Commissioners and other Commission officials should be obliged to accept substantial and well-defined cooling-off periods to prevent 'revolving door' cases.
- Asks to learn from the lobbying disclosure legislation in place in the United States and Canada and oblige firms and organisations targeting the EU institutions (with a lobbying budget over a certain threshold) to submit regular reports giving details on the issues they are lobbying on, for which clients and with what budget. These lobbying disclosure reports should be fully accessible to the public in an online searchable database.
- Asks Barruso to make a clean break with undemocratic practices like the incestuous relationship with the Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue (TABD)
- Names TABD a prime example of the inappropriate influence over EU trade and regulatory policies which previous European Commissions have granted large corporations
- Names The European Services Forum (ESF) another example of a corporate grouping awarded far-reaching and inordinate privileges by the European Commission.
- States that EU policies should serve the public interest, not the narrow commercial agendas of large corporations
Con:
Pro:
- We are constantly confronted with the results of the enormous influence of corporate lobby practices.
- CEO is a very knowledgeable organisation in the field of lobby research.
