Friends of the Earth Europe

Civil society organisations demand fossil free politics

The world’s five big oil and gas majors and their lobbyists have spent at least 251 million euros lobbying the EU since 2010, new research reveals – as almost 200 civil society organisations demand fossil free politics. 

Exxon-Mobil's tactics of deliberately spreading false information on climate change have been exposed today in a public hearing in the European Parliament.

But the company’s refusal to attend the hearing has led a growing number of Members of the European Parliament to back calls to strip Exxon-Mobil lobbyists of their parliamentary access badges.

Myriam Douo, transparency campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe said:

Excessive corporate influence over policy-making remains a serious threat to the public interest across Europe and at the EU level, warns a new report published today by the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation in the EU (ALTER-EU).

European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen confirmed he had a lobby meeting with ex-Commission President Barroso who represented investment bank Goldman Sachs International. ALTER-EU (the Alliance for Lobby Transparency and Ethics Regulation, of which Friends of the Earth Europe is a member) asked the European Commission to re-assess Barroso's job.