Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)

@corporateeurope.org

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Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) challenges the influence of Big Business and corporate lobby groups in EU policy-making. 🐘 @corporateeurope@mstdn.social 🔗 https://corporateeurope.org/en 👉 linktr.ee/corporateeurope

A four-panel cartoon by @CartoonRalph, published by Corporate Europe Observatory. A politician at a lectern addresses a crowd. Panel 1: He says 'We must act urgently on climate change' — the crowd responds 'YES.' Panel 2: He says 'We need to put experts in charge and take bold actions' — the crowd responds 'YES.' Panel 3: He adds 'and who has more expertise than the polluters themselves?' — the crowd responds 'Ye… Wait, what?' Panel 4: An aide whispers to him 'Sir, I've given another couple of billion to fossil fuel companies for carbon capture and storage, as requested… You're meeting their execs for brunch at 11am' — the crowd responds 'BOOOO.'
protesters at the event 'Brussels louder than hate' in front of the European Parliament
Political cartoon showing a large chainsaw labelled “Simplifier” cutting a green rope labelled “Regulation” stretched between two cliffs. Small people and animals are standing on the rope, about to fall. A figure above says, “We aren’t cutting, we are simplifying,” highlighting the danger of deregulation framed as simplification. Cartoon by @cartoonRalph
Cover graphic by Corporate Europe Observatory and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) for a new report titled 'Captured! The Critical Chemicals Alliance: By industry, for industry - How private influence shapes public priorities and investment.' On the right, an illustration of the EU flag bound in chains secured with a padlock bearing a euro symbol.
Image showing the signatories of the letter AbibiNsroma Foundation Center for Environment / FOE Bosnia and Herzegovina Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) Changing Markets Foundation CHEM Trust ChemSec Child Rights International Network (CRIN) Clean Air Action Group ClientEarth Climate Action Network Europe Climate Catalyst Community Action Against Plastic Waste (CAPws) Corporate Europe Observatory ECOCITY Ecologistas en Acción ECOS - Environmental Coalition on Standards European Environmental Bureau Générations Futures GLOBAL2000 Green Transition Denmark Hogar Sin Tóxicos Kettensäge stoppen! No Plastic In My Sea Notre Affaire à Tous Ocean. Now! Palombar - Associação de Conservação da Natureza e do Património Rural Polish Zero Waste Association ShareAction Wen (Women’s Environmental Network) Women Engage for a Common Future - WECF ZERO - Association for the Earth Sustainability
Infographic by Corporate Europe Observatory and EEB titled 'The Critical Chemicals Alliance is:' against a background of chains and a euro-symbol padlock. Six bullet points list: Captured by incumbent chemicals industry; Moving too fast and marginalising alternative voices; Ignoring chemical pollution crisis; Boosting false solutions to the climate crisis; Avoiding the need to phase down the petrochemical sector; Promoting further industry-friendly deregulation.
Infographic by Corporate Europe Observatory. An illustration shows a bouncer blocking the entrance to a 'Members Only' door labelled 'EU Industrial Policy,' with a red carpet and velvet ropes. A person holding a protest sign stands to the side. The text reads: 'This is what corporate capture looks like. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to read our content and share it, because sunlight is a great disinfectant.'
Infographic by Corporate Europe Observatory and EEB titled 'A future vision for the chemicals industry should:' Six speech bubble points surround an illustration of two people holding a protest sign: Redefine criticality as essentiality for the public interest; Focus defossilisation of the chemicals industry; Avoid public support without conditionalities; Stop awarding privileged access to vested interests; Focus on detoxification of harmful chemicals; Further reduce demand and supply of petrochemicals and plastics; Encourage the clean, green chemicals companies of tomorrow.
Infographic by Corporate Europe Observatory and EEB titled 'The Critical Chemicals Alliance is:' against a background of chains and a euro-symbol padlock. Six bullet points list: Captured by incumbent chemicals industry; Moving too fast and marginalising alternative voices; Ignoring chemical pollution crisis; Boosting false solutions to the climate crisis; Avoiding the need to phase down the petrochemical sector; Promoting further industry-friendly deregulation.
Infographic by Corporate Europe Observatory and EEB on the Critical Chemicals Alliance, subtitled 'An EU process driven by chemicals industry - What could go wrong?' Three chemicals are highlighted: Benzene (C₆H₆), linked to blood cancer; Polyvinyl Chloride/PVC ((C₂H₃Cl)ₙ), linked to multiple health conditions; and PFAS precursor, described as forever chemicals. A laboratory flask illustration appears alongside the question 'Critical for whom, exactly?'
Infographic by Corporate Europe Observatory and EEB asking 'How does the Critical Chemicals Alliance work?' with the subtitle 'Industry shapes the agenda. NGOs are asked to comment on it.' A four-tier pyramid illustration shows the governance structure: Steering Board (5 industry groups, 0 NGOs) at the top; Core Groups (industry holds 4 of 8 leadership positions, 0 NGOs); Extended Groups (some NGOs, asked to validate decisions already made); and General Assembly (includes everyone) at the base. An illustration of a businessman stands at the top. On the right, Cefic is identified as Brussels' biggest corporate lobby spender, holding roles as Steering Board member, Vice-chair of Working Group 1, and Chair of Working Group 2.
Infographic by Corporate Europe Observatory and EEB on Critical Chemicals Alliance membership. Key statistics: 16:1 ratio of industry members to NGOs; 293 members in total, comprising 124 companies, 86 trade associations, and 13 civil society groups. Member logos shown include Cefic, Plastics Europe, BASF, Evonik, INEOS, Syensqo, TotalEnergies, and Chemours. An illustration of a businessman blowing a whistle while standing on a pile of money appears in the centre.
Infographic by Corporate Europe Observatory and EEB comparing what the European Commission said about the Critical Chemicals Alliance versus what actually happened. The Commission described it as bringing together the Commission and stakeholders to tackle the sector's main challenges. In reality, the infographic states industry is using it as a platform to secure public funding and roll back regulation. A red 'Captured' stamp appears on the right, alongside an illustration of a businessman wheeling a trolley stacked with cash.
Infographic by Corporate Europe Observatory and EEB asking 'What is the Critical Chemicals Alliance?' Two speech bubbles flank a magnifying glass illustration. The left states the CCA was set up to identify critical chemicals and funnel EU public money to their producers. The right translates this as a mechanism to hand public subsidies to the fossil chemicals industry dressed up as industrial strategy, presented in July 2025 and captured by January 2026.
Cover graphic by Corporate Europe Observatory and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) for a new report titled 'Captured! The Critical Chemicals Alliance: By industry, for industry - How private influence shapes public priorities and investment.' On the right, an illustration of the EU flag bound in chains secured with a padlock bearing a euro symbol.
dead flower with form of dried planet, text reads, 'Heatwaves: a preventable tragedy'
Image showing smoke-belching trucks carrying pipelines, mined materials and data centre equipment, with heavy industrial installations issuing plumes of pollution into the air behind them. A green traffic light indicates that permission to pollute is being given.
Illustration by Corporate Europe Observatory showing four raised fists holding different objects above a row of houses: a protest sign reading 'Just Transition,' a wrench, a yellow rose, and a solar panel. The image evokes grassroots and worker demands for a fair and clean energy transition.
GIF saying WEBINAR: How is the EU giving companies Permission to Pollute? 14 July 2026, 11am CEST. Register online. Yellow background, and to the right, a ring of EU-style stars surrounds an illustration of a dead tree and a distressed fish lying on cracked ground, symbolising environmental destruction.
Photo taken from ttps://climate.ec.europa.eu/citizens-stakeholders/events/implementation-dialogue-carbon-capture-and-storage-eu-climate The text has a banner on the left up corner that says "IMPLEMENTATION DIALOGUES Ready to listen". Under it the text: Deploying CCS during an energy crisis: barriers and enablers 29 June 2026, 15:15-17:15 In the right there's portrait of Woepke Hoekstra and the text:Wopke HOEKSTRA European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth. On the right up corner a symbol of the European Commission with the EU flag. Blue background, with few red stripes on the left side.
Promotional graphic by Corporate Europe Observatory for a free open lobby tour, titled 'Join us for a Brussels' tour about the EU's deregulation frenzy.' A large group of people poses together outdoors in front of European Parliament buildings in Brussels. Pink banners read: 'June 30th at 5.30pm' and 'Register via ceo@corporateeurope.org.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League titled EU corporate lobby league 2026. Text states that: 1. 173 companies & trade associations together spend €382 million on lobbying 2. €28 million more than 2025. 3. 50% more than 2020. Based on analysis of those declaring €1 million+ annual EU lobby spend, using register declarations of 11 May 2020, 2025, 2026. The trophy illustration from the series appears in the top right corner. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League on the topic of Deregulation. Text states that the EU's 'simplification' and 'competitiveness' agendas are rolling back rules providing social, environmental, and digital protections following pressure from the biggest corporate lobbies. Six omnibus packages are shown as green circles: Omnibus 1 — Sustainability, covering finance and chemicals; Omnibus 5 — Defence, covering arms and chemicals; Omnibus 6 — Chemicals, covering sectors making or using harmful chemicals including cosmetics and fertilisers; Omnibus 7 — Digital, covering Big Tech; Omnibus 8 — Environment, covering chemicals and dirty polluters; Omnibus 10 — Food and Feed, covering pesticides and agribusiness. An illustration of a chainsaw cutting through regulations appears on the left. Other industry-friendly initiatives listed at the bottom include: ‘One Europe, One Market’ roadmap, Reality checks, Implementation dialogues, Better regulation reform, and Regulatory deep cleaning. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League — Big Tech sector. Top three corporate lobby spenders: 1. Meta, declared spend €8 million, +135.3% since 2020, 282 high-level Commission meetings. 2. Amazon, declared spend €9 million, +414.3% since 2020 (highest rise), 212 high-level meetings. 3. Apple, declared spend €10 million, +300% since 2020, 175 high-level meetings. Context notes include: Trump administration pressuring EU to protect US tech companies; data protection and AI Act targeted for deregulation; Digital Omnibus described as the biggest rollback of digital rights in the EU; rules to rein in Big Tech under threat. Data correct as of 11 May 2026. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Subscribe by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free License: Creative Commons 3 - CC BY-SA 3.0 Original Author: Nick Youngson - link to - nyphotographic.com Original Image: pix4free.org/photo/2889/subscribe.html
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League titled 'Demands.' Text states that parts of EU decision-making are being captured by corporate interests. Three urgent demands are listed: 1. Implement lobby firewalls to protect action on climate and environmental crises from polluters and to preserve digital rights from Big Tech. 2. Stop providing privileged access to industry lobbies and ensure civil society and communities are heard. 3. Introduce a legally-binding lobby register with real sanctions for inaccurate reporting. The trophy illustration from the series appears in the top right corner. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Cartoon by @CartoonRalph. The cartoon is called 'The EU gets tough on lobbying'. On the left is a man with a tie kneeling down, in prayer position, saying "Please will you fill in the register correctly". And the man on the right, wearing a tie and holding a brief case saying 'lobbyist', is saying "I'd rather not, but thanks for asking".
Cartoon by @CartoonRalph. Image shows a sign saying "EU Lobby register". On the left column are organisations listed Giant Inc, Interweb International, Lobbyists R Us. On the right are activities listed: "Some stuff", "This and that", "We can't remember everything we did".
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League showing the highest declaring sectors by lobbying spend. 1. Big Tech: €73 million, big spenders Meta and Amazon, +57.8% since 2020. 2. Banking & Finance: €66.7 million, big spenders AFME and EBF, +36.5% since 2020. 3. Energy: €52 million, big spenders Shell and FuelsEurope, +62.5% since 2020 (highest rise). 4. Chemicals & Agri-Business: €46.5 million, big spenders Bayer and Cefic, +60.9% since 2020. 5. Cross-Sector: €32.5 million, big spenders BDI and BusinessEurope, +40.7% since 2020. Data correct as of 11 May 2026. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League titled EU corporate lobby league 2026. Text states that: 1. 173 companies & trade associations together spend €382 million on lobbying 2. €28 million more than 2025. 3. 50% more than 2020. Based on analysis of those declaring €1 million+ annual EU lobby spend, using register declarations of 11 May 2020, 2025, 2026. The trophy illustration from the series appears in the top right corner. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League — Cross-Sector. Top three corporate lobby spenders: 1. BusinessEurope, declared spend €6 million, +50% since 2020, 595 high-level meetings (Champion of Meetings). 2. DIHK (Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag), declared spend €4 million, +49.3% since 2020, 124 high-level meetings. 3. BDI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie), declared spend €3.5 million, +27.3% since 2020, 264 high-level meetings. Context notes: BusinessEurope has had more high-level Commission meetings since 2014 than any other lobby; cross-sector lobby pushed heavily for deregulation now being implemented via omnibus packages; US lobby pressurises to deregulate to benefit American corporations in Europe. Data correct as of 11 May 2026. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League — Chemicals & Agri-business sector. Top three corporate lobby spenders: 1. Cefic, declared spend €12.3 million, +17.1% since 2020, 294 high-level meetings. 2. Bayer, declared spend €6 million, +39.7% since 2020, 99 high-level meetings. 3. BASF, declared spend €4.5 million, +45.2% since 2020, 95 high-level meetings. Context notes: Cefic's Antwerp Declaration helped set EU's competitiveness and deregulation agenda; sector benefits from 5 omnibus packages weakening health and environmental rules; weakening of rules on forever chemicals and pesticides expected; media has reported a tacit pact between this sector and governments. Data correct as of 11 May 2026. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League — Energy sector. Top three corporate lobby spenders: 1. Shell, declared spend €4.5 million, 0% since 2020, 170 high-level meetings. 2. FuelsEurope, declared spend €4.5 million, +100% since 2020, 90 high-level meetings. 3. Hydrogen Europe, declared spend €4.5 million, +1185.7% since 2020 (highest rise), 105 high-level meetings. Context notes: Commission's Clean Industrial Deal shaped by Europe's biggest climate polluters; sector demanding support for dirty hydrogen and carbon capture; pushing to deregulate permitting rules and weaken methane emissions rules. Data correct as of 11 May 2026. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League — Banking & Finance sector. Top three corporate lobby spenders: 1. AFME (Finance for Europe), declared spend €6 million, +33.3% since 2020, 119 high-level meetings. 2. EBF (European Banking Federation), declared spend €4 million, -11.1% since 2020, 112 high-level meetings. 3. Fédération Bancaire Française, declared spend €3.5 million, +268.4% since 2020, 135 high-level meetings. Context notes: Commission suggested de-prioritising 115 financial regulations in May 2025; sector effective in removing sustainable finance obligations; banking deregulation package expected in early 2027. Data correct as of 11 May 2026. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League — Big Tech sector. Top three corporate lobby spenders: 1. Meta, declared spend €8 million, +135.3% since 2020, 282 high-level Commission meetings. 2. Amazon, declared spend €9 million, +414.3% since 2020 (highest rise), 212 high-level meetings. 3. Apple, declared spend €10 million, +300% since 2020, 175 high-level meetings. Context notes include: Trump administration pressuring EU to protect US tech companies; data protection and AI Act targeted for deregulation; Digital Omnibus described as the biggest rollback of digital rights in the EU; rules to rein in Big Tech under threat. Data correct as of 11 May 2026. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
For image: Subscribe by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free License: Creative Commons 3 - CC BY-SA 3.0 Original Author: Nick Youngson - link to - nyphotographic.com Original Image: pix4free.org/photo/2889/subscribe.html
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League titled 'Demands.' Text states that parts of EU decision-making are being captured by corporate interests. Three urgent demands are listed: 1. Implement lobby firewalls to protect action on climate and environmental crises from polluters and to preserve digital rights from Big Tech. 2. Stop providing privileged access to industry lobbies and ensure civil society and communities are heard. 3. Introduce a legally-binding lobby register with real sanctions for inaccurate reporting. The trophy illustration from the series appears in the top right corner. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League on the topic of Deregulation. Text states that the EU's 'simplification' and 'competitiveness' agendas are rolling back rules providing social, environmental, and digital protections following pressure from the biggest corporate lobbies. Six omnibus packages are shown as green circles: Omnibus 1 — Sustainability, covering finance and chemicals; Omnibus 5 — Defence, covering arms and chemicals; Omnibus 6 — Chemicals, covering sectors making or using harmful chemicals including cosmetics and fertilisers; Omnibus 7 — Digital, covering Big Tech; Omnibus 8 — Environment, covering chemicals and dirty polluters; Omnibus 10 — Food and Feed, covering pesticides and agribusiness. An illustration of a chainsaw cutting through regulations appears on the left. Other industry-friendly initiatives listed at the bottom include: ‘One Europe, One Market’ roadmap, Reality checks, Implementation dialogues, Better regulation reform, and Regulatory deep cleaning. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League showing the highest declaring sectors by lobbying spend. 1. Big Tech: €73 million, big spenders Meta and Amazon, +57.8% since 2020. 2. Banking & Finance: €66.7 million, big spenders AFME and EBF, +36.5% since 2020. 3. Energy: €52 million, big spenders Shell and FuelsEurope, +62.5% since 2020 (highest rise). 4. Chemicals & Agri-Business: €46.5 million, big spenders Bayer and Cefic, +60.9% since 2020. 5. Cross-Sector: €32.5 million, big spenders BDI and BusinessEurope, +40.7% since 2020. Data correct as of 11 May 2026. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Infographic from The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League titled EU corporate lobby league 2026. Text states that: 1. 173 companies & trade associations together spend €382 million on lobbying; 2. €28 million more than 2025; 3. 50% more than 2020. Based on analysis of those declaring €1 million+ annual EU lobby spend, using register declarations of 11 May 2020, 2025, 2026. The trophy illustration from the series appears in the top right corner. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.
Cover graphic for The EU's 2026 Corporate Lobby League. A large illustrated trophy emitting smoke and euro symbols stands on a platform flanked by oil barrels and a drilling rig. To the right, the top five ranked sectors are listed: 1. Big Tech, 2. Banking & Finance, 3. Energy, 4. Chemicals & Agri-Business, 5. Cross-Sector, each with a corresponding icon. Logos of Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobby Control appear at the bottom.