TTIP
Who do you think should be writing the terms of the huge trade deal between the EU and the US that’s currently being negotiated? Politicians? European citizens? Or corporate lobbyists, paid hundreds of thousands of Euros a year to push a big business agenda in Brussels?
SumOfUs and Corporate Europe Observatory have found that some of the biggest increases in lobbying spending came from the finance sector and big pharma. Not the most trustworthy people when it comes to protecting European citizens.
Research found that many corporate lobbyists didn’t even bother signing the EU’s transparency register — leaving the public completely in the dark about their influence on the trade deal.
Even though politicians might try to ignore corporate lobbyists, their constant presence — not to mention fancy dinners — can be hard to resist.
The best way to stop politicians listening to lobbyists is to deliver a louder, stronger, people-powered message opposing TTIP.
But we also need to make sure we chip away at the power of the lobbyists lurking behind closed doors in Brussels, paid big money to convince politicians to ignore their voters in favour of big business’ demands. Shining a light on what they’re up to destroys their power.
