The influence of business on EU policy in Brussels, despite new transparency rules are still large. This was the result of a Search of lobby control, which will be published on Monday. Therefore, the EU does not advance the case of the transparency requirements of the German Federal government-wide, however, the rules in Brussels were sufficient to limit the influence of the company.
The Association lobby control published a report every two years, with the development of lobbying in Germany. The 44-page EU-lobby report 2019 is the first to focus exclusively on Europe. In any city in Europe there are so many lobbyists in Brussels.
lobbyists have
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker register by 2014, all the lobby players, the meeting with the commissioners and deputies, you have to register in a lobby register. As the analysis of the register of lobby control, two-thirds of the 25,000 lobbyists in Brussels, representatives of the company.
The annual budget of the group representatives is around 1.5 billion euros. Around 70 percent of the Meetings of the EU-Commission lobbyist of goods, with the representatives of the economic – environmental associations, trade unions and others to lose out. And to meet though Juncker has sent a reminder to the beginning of the legislature expressly to balance, more civil society associations.
The companies with the highest expenditures for Lobbying are, among other things, the Association of the European Chemical industry, with 12 million euros, second place in the consulting company FTI Consulting. On the list of ten lobby players that spend the most money to influence, Google at number seven and Microsoft.
“The data protection regulation, and many of the EU laws, such as the Catalyst requirement or rules on the limitation of emissions of pollutants have shown that Europe can be a protective shield against the Group,” says Imke Dierßen of lobby control. There is a need for more of such positive pulses. “More lobby transparency and strict rules for lobbyists are essential.”
No transparency in the EU Council
LobbyControl criticized particularly the lack of transparency of the Council of Ministers, in the government representatives of the member States sit. The panel is released as a single in the legislative process participating Institution by the register mandatory for lobbyists. Local industries tried to exploit their national governments for their interests, States the report.
the Federal government have diluted, for example, in the Council a draft law by the EU Commission to exhaust tests and delayed – on pressure of the German automotive industry. Similarly, at the EU Council in the fight against tax havens within the EU had failed. Overall, there is too little information about how the Council come to its decisions.
Moreover, it is criticised in the lobby-report that law firms need to register in the transparency register, because they want to keep their positions secret. Similarly, the lobby, are excluded to the meeting with the employees of the members and of the EU authorities. The Commission was also dependent heavily on the Expertise of the lobbyists. Groups of experts, to help the authorities, be staffed überverhältnis with representatives of the business community.
action needs to lobby control to see even in the professional Connections between EU politicians and the economy. The waiting period for a change in the economy of EU commissioners should be increased from two years to three years and independent experts are used, which check in addition to income of the EU-parliamentarians.
27 of the 99 German members of the EU Parliament information made it to their next income. The CDU has 14 members, most of them with in addition to income, of the FDP, both members have income. Only the Left-members of the European Parliament refer to any monies via your members activity.
