[Ip-health] “Corporate Power over EU Trade Policy: Good f or Business, Bad for the World”

[Michelle Childs]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]


> <snip> A new report : “Corporate Power over EU Trade Policy: Good
> for Business, Bad for the World” [2] launched today by the Seattle
> to Brussels Network analyses how corporate lobbyists are able to
> gain excessive influence over EU trade policy making and the
> negative effects of this influence on social justice, the
> environment and the fight against poverty. The report gives
> concrete examples focusing on different sectors of the trade
> negotiations including case studies of individual corporations’
> influence. [3]
>
> Though there are no specific case studies on a2K or medicines
> issues, the first general  section gives a good overview of the
> lobbying process. The case study on Bayer (p34), though focused on
> chemicals, mentions the push under NAMA for lowering tariffs on meds.
>
> Michelle
>
>
> “Why should Europe care about lobby transparency?”:
> New report: Campaigners denounce damaging impacts of corporate
> lobby on trade policies
>
>
> Brussels, 16th October 2006 – The Alliance for Lobbying
> Transparency and Ethics Regulation at the EU (ALTER-EU) and the
> Seattle to Brussels Network today demanded mandatory lobbying
> disclosure and an end to privileged access, as a new report reveals
> the disastrous impacts of the enormous influence of corporate
> lobbying on EU trade policy. The demands were made at a press
> conference the day before European industry interests get together
> with EU Commissioners for their annual back pat, this year under
> the slogan “Why do companies care about Europe?” [1]
>
> Barbara Specht, from WIDE (Women in Development Europe), a member
> of the Seattle to Brussels Network and ALTER-EU said,  “This annual
> meeting between corporate lobbyists and EU Commissioners is just
> one publicised example of corporate power over the EU, but is only
> the tip of the iceberg. For the rest of the year, meetings between
> the EU and corporate lobbyists take place beneath the surface.
> There is no transparency for the public, even though it is their
> interests at stake when business has too much influence.”
>
> A new report : “Corporate Power over EU Trade Policy: Good for
> Business, Bad for the World” [2] launched today by the Seattle to
> Brussels Network analyses how corporate lobbyists are able to gain
> excessive influence over EU trade policy making and the negative
> effects of this influence on social justice, the environment and
> the fight against poverty. The report gives concrete examples
> focusing on different sectors of the trade negotiations including
> case studies of individual corporations’ influence. [3]
>
> Myriam Vander Stichele, one of the report’s authors, from SOMO
> (Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations), part of the
> Seattle to Brussels Network, said “The EU’s position in world trade
> negotiations shows how dangerous the domination of big business
> interests in policy making can be. Corporate interests pushed the
> EU into aggressive demands on market access in developing
> countries, even though this would lead to increased poverty and
> environmental destruction in those countries. Commissioner
> Mandelson has a responsibility to prevent corporate lobbyists
> controlling trade policy and must use a new approach that looks
> beyond cost reduction for business.”
>
> A crucial step in tackling excessive corporate influence in EU
> policy making is to increase transparency in EU lobbying. However,
> in its recent proposals on the European Transparency Initiative,
> the Commission does not adequately address this - lobbying
> disclosure would be left voluntary and optional.
>
> Jorgo Riss, member of the ALTER-EU steering committee and Director
> of Greenpeace EU Unit, said, “We will intensify our campaign to
> ensure that the European Transparency Initiative delivers
> meaningful transparency around lobbying. To even begin to address
> the problem, detailed information must be available about who is
> paying how much to whom to work on which areas of policy. These
> answers must be available to the public about all lobbyists.”
>
> ALTER-EU members from across Europe gathered in Brussels on October
> 16-17 to plan the next steps in their campaign for mandatory
> transparency for all EU lobbyists. The Commission is currently
> drafting its final proposals for the European Transparency
> Initiative, which it expects to present at the turn of the year. [4]
>
> Members of both networks will stage a protest outside the UNICE day
> tomorrow [5].
>
> ***
> For more information, please contact:
>
> Jorgo Riss, Greenpeace tel +32 2 2741907
> jorgo.riss@diala.greenpeace.org
>
> Myriam Vander Stichele, SOMO, tel +31 206391291, mobile: +31 6
> 44112659
> myriam@somo.nl
>
> Barbara Specht, WIDE, +32 2 545 90 74, mobile: +32 (0)479559415
> barbara@wide-network.org
>
> Owen Espley, ALTER-EU, mobile: +31 (0)647 576 743
> owen@corporateeurope.org
>
> Notes to editors:
>
> [1] UNICE (Confederation of European Industrialists) day 2006 has
> been branded “Why do companies care about Europe” and is expected
> to gather some hundred lobbyists who will be addressed by six EU
> Commissioners. Information on UNICE day is available at http://
> www.unice.org/content/default.asp?PageId=402
>
> [2] “Corporate Power over EU Trade Policy: Good for Business, bad
> for the World”, Myriam Vander Stichele, Kim Bizarri, Leonard Plank,
> Seattle to Brussels Network, 2006.
> Read the full report at:
> http://www.s2bnetwork.org/download/
> Corporate_power_over_EU_Trade_policy
>
> [3] An S2B media briefing is available at:
> http://www.s2bnetwork.org/download/s2bmediabriefing_16_10_06
>
> [4] An ALTER EU media briefing is available at:
> www.alter-eu.org/MediaBriefing161006
>
> [5] There will be a photo/TV opportunity tomorrow (Tuesday 17th
> October). “Barroso”, representing the EU Commission, will have a
> cosy meeting with a businessman. They will sip champagne in a
> double bed outside the UNICE day, as attendees of the meeting enter
> the building. 9:15-10:00 a.m. at Espace Flagey, Place Flagey,
> Brussels. For more information, contact Rosemary Hall:
> rosemary.hall@foeeurope.org, +32 485 930515.
>
> ALTER-EU is a coalition of over 140 organisations, including NGOs,
> trade unions, academics and public affairs firms, campaigning for
> mandatory lobbying transparency and ethics regulation at the EU.
> More information is available at www.alter-eu.org
>
> The Seattle to Brussels Network is a pan-European network of more
> than 70 organisations from 16 countries campaigning to promote a
> sustainable, socially and democratically accountable system of
> trade. More information is available from www.s2bnetwork.org
>
>