News
BackThis week, the campaign for lobby transparency at EU level starts, organised by ALTER-EU, AK & ÖGB and supported by an alliance of trade unions and civil society groups throughout Europe. The candidates for the European Election in May 2014 have been asked to make a key promise: that in case of being elected for the European Parliament they will fight for citizens and democracy and against the excessive lobby influence of banks and corporations in Europe!
The lobby influence of banks and corporations
Many national laws originate from Europe. Banks and corporations use their huge financial potential to influence EU decision-makers for their own purposes. As documented in a recent survey commissioned by AK & ÖGB, the financial industry spends about 120 million euros per year for its lobby activities, whilst trade unions and non-governmental organisations (NGO) have roughly only 4 million euros available.
The lobbyists of the financial industry in Brussels are also hugely overrepresented at personnel level. There are currently 4 lobbyists of the financial industry for each Commission official working in the banking and finance sector.
However, there are other major problem areas apart from these imbalances. The European Commission time and again calls upon so-called “expert groups on various topics“, which are to provide important content-related input. In general, these groups are dominated by representatives of banks and corporations.
This is added by the fact that there is a complete lack of transparency with regard to the concrete number of lobbyists working on behalf of banks and corporations in Europe, as there is currently no mandatory register for lobbyists. Hence, EU policy is often dominated by one-sided business interests, whilst trade unions and civil society are systematically disadvantaged.
Objective of the campaign
The European alliance for lobby transparency “ALTER-EU”, AK and ÖGB have started together a joint campaign for clean lobbying at EU level. It is the objective of the campaign to ask candidates to make a key promise for the coming European elections.
They shall pledge to fight for citizens and democracy and against the excessive lobby influence of banks and corporations. It will be monitored after the elections, which concrete steps elected candidates, who make a promise, are taking.
Taking part? That’s easy!
On the central campaign homepage www.politicsforpeople.eu, citizens can, by simply simple clicking on their country, contact their candidates and ask them to pledge for lobby transparency!
The homepage will be regularly updated to show which candidates have guaranteed their support so far. Apart from that, there is already a campaign video, which shows current MEPs making their promise!
Prominent first supporters
Already before the start of the campaign this week, more than 40 current members of the European Parliament have ensured us of their efforts to support citizens and democracy and to stop the excessive lobby influence of banks and corporations.
Apart from the central campaign website www.politicsforpeople.eu, the campaign can also be followed via Twitter (@altereu) and via hashtag #pforp”.
For more information:
www.politicsforpeople.eu
Financial lobby survey
Many national laws originate from Europe. Banks and corporations use their huge financial potential to influence EU decision-makers for their own purposes. As documented in a recent survey commissioned by AK & ÖGB, the financial industry spends about 120 million euros per year for its lobby activities, whilst trade unions and non-governmental organisations (NGO) have roughly only 4 million euros available.
The lobbyists of the financial industry in Brussels are also hugely overrepresented at personnel level. There are currently 4 lobbyists of the financial industry for each Commission official working in the banking and finance sector.
However, there are other major problem areas apart from these imbalances. The European Commission time and again calls upon so-called “expert groups on various topics“, which are to provide important content-related input. In general, these groups are dominated by representatives of banks and corporations.
This is added by the fact that there is a complete lack of transparency with regard to the concrete number of lobbyists working on behalf of banks and corporations in Europe, as there is currently no mandatory register for lobbyists. Hence, EU policy is often dominated by one-sided business interests, whilst trade unions and civil society are systematically disadvantaged.
Objective of the campaign
The European alliance for lobby transparency “ALTER-EU”, AK and ÖGB have started together a joint campaign for clean lobbying at EU level. It is the objective of the campaign to ask candidates to make a key promise for the coming European elections.
They shall pledge to fight for citizens and democracy and against the excessive lobby influence of banks and corporations. It will be monitored after the elections, which concrete steps elected candidates, who make a promise, are taking.
Taking part? That’s easy!
On the central campaign homepage www.politicsforpeople.eu, citizens can, by simply simple clicking on their country, contact their candidates and ask them to pledge for lobby transparency!
The homepage will be regularly updated to show which candidates have guaranteed their support so far. Apart from that, there is already a campaign video, which shows current MEPs making their promise!
Prominent first supporters
Already before the start of the campaign this week, more than 40 current members of the European Parliament have ensured us of their efforts to support citizens and democracy and to stop the excessive lobby influence of banks and corporations.
Apart from the central campaign website www.politicsforpeople.eu, the campaign can also be followed via Twitter (@altereu) and via hashtag #pforp”.
For more information:
www.politicsforpeople.eu
Financial lobby survey