Over 100 civil society groups from across Europe have signed a letter to incoming President of the Commission, Jos? Manuel Barroso, demanding he act immediately to curb the excessive influence of corporate lobby groups over EU policy-making [2]. Campaigners say European trade policy is particularly vulnerable to corporate influence and that Mr Mandelson has an established reputation for being close to business.?

Their fears have been confirmed by the fact that on his first day in his new post Mr Mandelson has chosen to address a meeting of business lobby groups organized by the Foreign Policy Centre to promote trade liberalization [3]?

Campaigners are calling for an end to the privileged access given to corporate lobby groups by the European Commission and greater transparency within the trade negotiating process at a European and international level.?

Dave Timms of the World Development Movement said: "Peter Mandelson has an established reputation as an arch free trader and someone with an intimate relationship with the business community. We need a radical rethink of EU trade policy away from the demands of big business and a transformation of the relationship between the Commission and corporate lobby groups."?

Friends of the Earth's Trade Campaigner Alexandra Wandel said: "As European Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson will play a crucial role in on-going international trade negotiations. It is essential that his role is not tainted by connections with big business - and that the whole process of trade policy within Europe is made more transparent and accountable".?

Erik Wesselius of Corporate Europe Observatory said: "Peter Mandelson's predecessors Leon Brittan and Pascal Lamy have developed a practice of close cooperation between trade negotiators and business, as exemplified by structures like the Transatlantic Business Dialogue or the European Services Forum. When in office, Peter Mandelson should urgently break with this tradition of secretive corporate influence over EU trade policy and actively support the introduction of EU legislation on transparency and ethics for lobbyists at the EU institutions." ?

Notes:

[1] Photos of today's action are available from noon at www.foeeurope.org?

[2] www.corporateeurope.org/barroso.html?

[3] Peter Mandelson will make the keynote speech at the conference 'Trade and Public Opinion: Communicating the Progressive Case for Removing Trade Barriers' http://fpc.org.uk/events/84?

[4] Following Mr Mandelson's questioning by at the European Parliament, Green MEPs said they wanted a "clear commitment from the Commissioner- designate that he will tackle the secret culture of corporate lobbying on trade matters and introduce a system of transparent registers." The Green/EFA Group assessment of the Commissioner designate hearings states: "Corporate lobbying, and the disproportionate influence of large companies in European law making, will not stop at all with Mr. Mandelson."?

[5] One group of MEPs had already opposed Mandelson's appointment. In a letter to the President of the European Parliament last month (4 October) the United Left Group of said: "He has not shown a single imaginative idea on how to begin to realize this change of orientation of the trade negotiations to reduce the gap between developing and industrialized countries, and the gap between rich and poor within the countries themselves...We suspect that his development-friendly rhetoric was just designed to meet the expectations of the audience...There was no hint of a proposal for fairer trade, nor any proposal for change of the international system that might lead to a better consideration of social and environmental concerns."?

Contacts: Dave Timms, World Development Movement, +44 (0)7711 875 345

Alexandra Wandel, FoEE, +32 473 510 147 or? ++49 172 748 39 53.