Democracy & Europe

#Transparency

Transparent government and policy-making are essential to prevent corporations from using their power to influence the political agenda and undermine democracy. The European Union has a responsibility to stand up to corporate lobbying and advance environmental, social and consumer protection.

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Report: Big Oil and gas buying influence in Brussels

October 2019

With money and meetings, subsidies and sponsorships, the oil and gas lobby is fuelling the climate disaster Read the full report here Since 2010, just five oil and gas corporations…

Big oil spent over €250 lobbying the EU

October 2019

Brussels – The world’s five big oil and gas majors and their lobbyists have spent at least 251 million euro lobbying the EU since 2010, new research reveals [1] –…

189 civil society organisations call for fossil-free politics

October 2019

189 civil society organisations support a statement declaring “we need a firewall that protects our democratic institutions and our decision-making from fossil fuel industry interference: no more private lobby meetings,…

Letter to European leaders on future of Europe

May 2019

Every day, people across Europe struggle with growing poverty and inequality, deteriorating access to healthcare and worrying levels of youth unemployment. Meanwhile, many large companies pollute the environment, refuse to…

Action at Exxon Mobil HQ in the US. © Robert Visser / Greenpeace

Three questions EXXON doesn’t want you to ask

March 2019

In response to a petition from Food & Water Europe, ExxonMobil is at the center of yet another inquiry into its role in promoting climate change denial. This time in Brussels,…

EFSA must side with public, not commercial interests, says EU court

March 2019

In a landmark decision, the EU General Court ruled today that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was wrong to refuse access to toxicity studies related to glyphosate, a controversial…

Statement from coalition to ban glyphosate

October 2018

We, the organisers of the European Citizens’ Initiative to Ban glyphosate and protect people and the environment from toxic pesticides, call on the European Parliament, Council of Ministers and European…

Statement on the European Commission’s pesticide transparency proposal

September 2018

Glyphosate European Citizens’ Initiative coalition statement on the European Commission’s transparency proposal

Investigation: Majority of EU Parliament agriculture committee linked to industry

May 2018

Involve other committees in EU agriculture policy reform or risk health and environment, Greenpeace A majority of MEPs on the European Parliament’s agriculture committee have strong links to the farming…

Out of Balance - industry links in the European Parliament AGRI committee

May 2018

For 56 years, European farming has been guided by the European Union’s common agricultural policy (CAP) and the subsidies it distributes to European farmers. The CAP currently accounts for almost…

EU Commission plan allows chemical producers to keep control of science behind pesticide approvals, Greenpeace

April 2018

Brussels – A European Commission proposal to reform EU risk assessments for pesticides and other products entering the food chain would allow the chemical industry to remain in charge of…

Greenpeace Netherlands leaks EU-Mercosur trade papers

December 2017

Increase in meat and soy trade would drive deforestation Amsterdam/Brussels – Greenpeace Netherlands has released 171 pages of previously undisclosed documents from secret talks for an EU-Mercosur trade agreement. Soy…

Monsanto’s view of independent science copied into EU evaluations

September 2017

Brussels, 15 September 2017 – According to media reports, large sections of the EU report evaluating the independent science on glyphosate’s potential risk to human health have been copied, word…

Leaked trade papers

June 2017

EU backtracks on transparency and environment pledges Brussels/Amsterdam, 23 June 2017 – Greenpeace Netherlands is releasing 205 pages of previously undisclosed chapters from secret talks for an EU-Japan trade agreement…

EU chemicals agency sweeps glyphosate cancer evidence under the carpet

March 2017

Brussels – Following in the footsteps of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has dismissed scientific evidence showing that the controversial weedkiller glyphosate could cause…

Conflict of interest concerns blight new glyphosate safety assessment

March 2017

Brussels – Potential conflicts of interest and transparency concerns hang over the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), as it prepares a crucial assessment of glyphosate, a controversial weedkiller which has been…

Open letter on the independence and transparency of ECHA’s Risk Assessment Committee

March 2017

20 health and environmental organisations wrote to the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency, Mr. Geert Dancet, to express concerns regarding conflicts of interest and transparency at the agency.…

Landmark ECJ ruling: research on dangers of pesticides must be made public

November 2016

Luxembourg/Brussels, 23 November 2016 – The European Court of Justice ruled today that safety tests conducted by the chemical industry and used by regulators to assess the dangers of pesticides…

Leaked EU-Canada joint declaration has legal weight of a holiday brochure

October 2016

Brussels – Greenpeace has slammed a joint EU-Canadian declaration meant to reassure critics of a controversial trade deal between the two blocs. Greenpeace described the document as a PR exercise…

Industry ties raise questions about UN body assessing glyphosate cancer risk

May 2016

Brussels – The FAO /WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) released an assessment today, which concludes that the controversial weedkiller glyphosate is “unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to…

EU presidency denies public access to trade Council CETA and TTIP talks

May 2016

Brussels – The Dutch EU Council presidency has turned down a request to publicly broadcast today’s ministerial talks in Brussels on EU-US (TTIP) and EU-Canada (CETA) trade agreements. EU trade…

Leaked TTIP documents released

May 2016

Greenpeace EU press briefing – 14:30 – Residence Palace, Brussels Greenpeace activists project #TTIPleaks documents on the Berlin Reichstag on 2 May 2016 *Greenpeace EU will hold a press briefing…

TTIP leaks analysis

May 2016

. . TTIP leaks analysis

TTIP leaks update: Greenpeace response to Commission statements

May 2016

Brussels, 2 May 2016 – In response to the European Commission’s statements on the TTIP leaks and a blog post by EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström, Greenpeace EU director Jorgo…

#TTIPleaks: confidential TTIP papers unveil US position

May 2016

Leaked text shows attempts to undermine EU environment and health protection laws Brussels, 1 May 2016 – Greenpeace Netherlands has obtained 248 pages of leaked Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership…

Commission fails to regulate new GMOs after intense US lobbying

April 2016

The European Commission has shelved a legal opinion confirming that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) produced through gene-editing and other new techniques fall under EU GMO law, following pressure from the…

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