Invitation for civil society groups: ALTER-EU workshop about the corporate influence on the Commission's experts groups

Publication date: 
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Author: 
ALTER-EU

Invitation to ALTER-EU workshop for civil society groups (membership and non-signatories) about the corporate capture of the European Commission's experts groups.

Executive summary / policy recommendations: 

At the end of 2010, the European Commission quietly adopted new rules governing its 1,000+ advisory bodies without any public announcement let alone consultation. These ‘expert groups’ are powerful bodies whose recommendations often determine the shape of EU legislation.

ALTER-EU has criticised the lack of ambition in the Commission’s reforms, and concludes that commercial lobbyists, be it as industry representatives or in a ‘personal capacity’, still dominate a large number of these advisory groups in critical policy areas, while other interests are poorly represented. Furthermore much about the functioning of these powerful groups – when, where and how often they meet, and what is discussed – remains unclear.

When:         Wednesday, May 11 – 15h00 to 18h00

Where:        Mundo-B, 26, rue d’Edimbourg – Conference Room

Who:       Opening remarks:

  • Yiorgos Vassalos, researcher ALTER-EU / Corporate Europe Observatory.

Speakers:

  •  Monique Goyens, director general BEUC;
  • Joël Decaillon, deputy general secretary ETUC;
  • Ronny Patz, EU-liaison officer Transparency International;
  • Gérard Choplin, policy officer, European Coordination Via Campesina.

Simultaneous translation in English and French will be available. 

 

RSVP before 6 May: koen@alter-eu.org ; + 32 4 9750 9871

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