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EU lobbying from a Swedish perspective: written by Swedish journalist Sara Ahnborg and translated and published at euro-correspondent.com, it describes lobbying efforts in relation to the REACH chemicals proposals. Published on 30 November 2004, but gives a good description of EU lobbying processes.
Swedish MEP Lena Ek (Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) is getting a lot of attention from lobbyists.
She receives three or four visits a day, fifty e-mails, about ten phone calls, not to mention invitations to seminars, lunches and other activities. Since Lena Ek was appointed rapporteur for the REACH chemicals proposal in the committee on Industry, Research and Energy in the European Parliament, she is targeted daily by lobbyists trying to push the proposal in different directions.
The REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals) chemicals policy is the EU?s biggest current legislation project. The politicians and civil servants involved are under pressure from all imaginable groups. According to some studies, the present draft has already been weakened because of lobbying efforts.
Some of the lobbying pressure comes from environment or consumer NGOs, or even from private persons. But most lobbyists represent the chemicals industry. The majority of their clients are European, but business in the United States, Japan and Brazil is also showing great interest.
The most extreme lobbyists invite the politicians to vacation trips disguised with an hour or two of work for keeping up appearances. Others send consultancy reports that Lena Ek describes as ?terribly overdriven horror propaganda? promoting the message that the whole industry in Europe will collapse if the new chemicals policy is realized.
Most active are lobbying groups from Germany, Italy and the United States. They are against the EU having any new chemicals policy.
Strong pressure from outside Europe
The non-European lobby is so active because, Lena Ek believes, the US amongst others fears that strong European chemicals regulation would work as a label of quality, thus impairing US competitiveness.
?These lobbyists have in spite of everything realized that the chemicals regulation will go through,? she says. ?Therefore they concentrate on watering down the proposal instead of stopping it.?
The lobbying barrage is so heavy that Lena Ek hardly has time for anything else. Nevertheless, the MEP draws something positive from the lobbying efforts.
?It is incredibly good to hear the point of view of businesses and of environmental NGOs,? she says. ?Lobbying in the European Parliament is more transparent and regulated than for example lobbying in the Swedish national parliament.?
Still much to play for
However, for all those worried that a strong anti-REACH lobby will water down the draft, it is too early to relax. The US business lobby as well as the European chemicals industry lobby has already managed to weaken the present proposal. Green MEP Inger Sch?rling has reported about how the draft proposal was weakened when she was the rapporteur for REACH in the European Parliament's prior to the June 2004 European elections.
Lena Ek says she will not present a hollowed out draft to the European Parliament. This does not prevent other MEPs from tabling weakening amendments that can be voted through.
The risk of this is substantial since the biggest political group in the European Parliament, the conservatives/Christian Democats, is very negative towards strong chemicals regulations.
In the Council of Ministers, meanwhile, which together with the European Parliament will decide on the final regulation, the majority of ministers think that the new chemicals policy could seriously damage European industrial competitiveness.
When asked what she would say to people who are in contact with chemicals daily and worry that the regulation will be totally watered down, Lena Ek says, ?It would be good if you lend your support and contribute to the moulding of public opinion. I would even encourage some lobbying.?
This article was originally published at Dagens Arbete and has been translated from Swedish. |
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