GROUPS AGAINST CORPORATE INFLUENCE IN EU DECISION-MAKING

The organizations listed below aim to curb the influence of corporations on EU decision-making. They argue that the influence exerted by corporate lobbyists on the political agenda of Europe result in a loss of democracy in EU decision-making and the postponement, weakening, or blockage even, of urgently needed progress on social, environmental and consumer reforms.

Corporations do influence the EU decision-making process of course. But then so do labour unions, NGOs, the legal profession, the medical profession and other interest groups. As long as the private sector is subject to government regulation, it will be involved in the political process. Is the problem that corporations have too much influence in politics, or that politicians and politics have too much influence on corporations?

Corporations pay lobbyists because corporations are subject to EU regulations and laws. These regulations and laws dictate how corporations run their businesses—from the price of wages to the proper weight of worktables. Moreover, when politicians and regulators took it upon themselves to regulate the economy and pick winners and losers, it became necessary for the private sector to engage in politics. Thus, corporations have no choice but to spend the money necessary to play in the game that the politicians created.

If some groups had their way, corporations would be forbidden from educating both politicians and voters about the enormous costs and few benefits that stem from proposed regulations. Silencing one group may be politically beneficial in the short-term for certain groups. However, it ultimately leaves everyone worse off because it creates a knowledge vacuum. In our society, public and private sectors are hopelessly intertwined. It does everyone a disservice to hold only one group responsible.

Corporations make political expenditures because they are part of a system where, in order to survive, they must be heard.

Groups Against Corporate Influence in EU decision-making

Austria

• ATTAC Austria
• Brussels Office of the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK EUROPA)
• Bundesarbeitskammer (Austrian Chamber of Labour)

Denmark

• ATTAC Denmark

Belgium

• Agir pour la Paix
• Kairos
• Vredesaktie

Croatia

• GONG

Czech Republic

• Center for Media, Ecology and Democracy (CMED)
• Denik Referendum
• Frank Bold

Finland

• Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam

France 

• Alternative Trade Mandate
• Amis de la Terre
• Association Internationale de Techniciens, Experts et Chercheurs (AITEC)
• Fondation Sciences Citoyennes
• Les Ingraineurs
• Regards Citoyens

Germany

• LobbyControl

Hungary

• ATTAC Hungary
• Védegylet Egyesület

Ireland

• Young Friends of the Earth

Italy

• Diritto di Sapere
• Openpolis

Malta

• Friends of the Earth Malta

Netherlands

• SOMO
• Stopwapenhandel
• Transparency International (Netherlands)
• Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF) (Netherlands)

Poland

• Association 61
• Citizen Network Watchdog
• Frank Bold

Romania

• Institute for Public Policy

Slovakia

• Human Rights Institute

Spain:

• Access Info Spain

Sweden

• ATTAC Sweden working with Friends of the Earth Sweden in Global Justice Alliance
• Friends of the Earth Sweden

United Kingdom

• Campaign Against Arms Trade
• Corporate Watch
• Jubilee Debt Campaign
• Open Knowledge Foundation
• People and Planet
• Spin Watch
• War on Want
• World Development Movement

EU Wide

• Bankwatch
• Corporate Europe Observatory
• Counter Balance
• EDRI
• European ATTAC Network
• European Federation of Financial Services Users
• Food and Water Watch Europe
• Friends of the Earth Europe
• Women in Europe for a Common Future

Global

• Post Global Initiative
• Sunlight Foundation
• Transnational Institute