Brussels: A Mecca for Lobbyists

Had Germany's Christian Democrat Union (CDU) member Norbert Röttgen been a representative of the European Parliament instead of the Bundestag, he may not have been pressured to give up his position at the head of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), as lobbyists in Brussels do not have the image problems of their colleagues in Berlin.

There are some 15,000 professionals from member states, corporations, private and public organizations, churches and environmental groups -- to name just a few -- trying to influence the EU's decision-making process.

Though a code of conduct does not allow the 4,500 lobbyists officially registered with the European Parliament to bribe representatives, they can, under some circumstances, pay representatives' staff members as long as the MEPs disclose the details in their annual financial reports.

Easy access to informed opinions

Some of the EU's elected officials and European Commission representatives say a close working relationship with lobbyists provides them quick access to informed opinions from a number of points of view on the matters facing the bloc.

"It is perfectly clear that the Commission's departments and members of parliament are very interested in our assessments," said Rogier Chorus of the Society of European Affairs Professionals.

"It is just as important for us to put all the information on the table. The politicians need this information to determine if their suggestions really apply."

In comparison with the German Bundestag, parliamentarians do not have large staffs to pore over official documents, leaving some EU officials to have their positions and proposals drafted by lobbyists, according to Austrian reprehensive Hans-Peter Martin, who prepared a report on the EU's lobby apparatus two years ago.

"My criticism is that the lobbyists have the power," he said. "They are very adept at it. They intervene through the back door before anything is even on paper."

This allows the lobbyists a large amount of control over the issues being discussed in parliament and the commission, according to Martin.

"There are a lot of lazy and overwhelmed officials who are happy to get rid of the work," he added. "There are even representatives who gloat about having lobbyists write their amendment motions for them."

Second jobs abound in Brussels

A number of the EU's 732 representatives also have jobs outside the parliament's walls, although a case of a MEP heading up a lobby or industry association as nearly happened in Germany with Röttgen is not known.

Germany's Elmar Brok, a CDU member, is the vice-president of media development at media giant Bertelsmann while Social Democratic Party's (SPD) Vural Öger is a partner in a travel company. Cem Özedmir of the Greens along with Free Democrat Silvana Koch-Mehrin are among the MEPs who cash checks for speaking appearances. Martin, the author of the critical lobbying report, also continues to work as a journalist in addition to his parliamentary duties.

Who is working where can sometimes be difficult to distinguish as lobbyists sometimes become elected representatives or get jobs on their staff. Journalists can also be found doing lobbying work while MEPs often take jobs with the lobbying firms or organizations at the end of their terms since the people in Brussels are all familiar with each other.

"It is this collection, the mixing of everything, one person does some work for another and suddenly a non-elected official is doing the work that is actually there for the people's representative," Martin said. "It is a forced relationship and often the citizens' justified interests are suffocated."