Lobby Planet report shows Brussels spinning with corporate influence
THE maxim of the lobbyist is generally to be heard but not seen, although a new report on the concentration of lobbying in Brussels suggests you'd be hard pressed to go anywhere in Belgium's capital without bumping into several.
Not-for-profit research and campaign group Corporate Europe Observatory has released an update to its report of 2004, showing how the city, home to the European Commission and European Parliament, now sustains a lobbying industry second only in the world to Washington DC.
A growing number of MEPs have spoken out against the constant offensive from industry lobbyists that often leads to watered down social and environmental laws and policies. There has been growing support for transparency and ethics rules to curb the impact of corporate lobbying. So far, however, genuine change has been minimal.
The report - Lobby Planet - outlines how Brussels has become a "magnet" for lobbyists with as many as 30,000 professionals trying their best to influence policy, law makers and politicians in the EU.
Read more: Lobby Planet report shows Brussels spinning with corporate influence
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