Podcasts about corporate europe observatory

Brussels ranks second only to Washington in the number of lobbyists, with nearly one public affairs representative for every person employed in the European institutions, according to recent data by Lobbycontrol. In the wake of Qatargate, the largest corruption scandal in EU history, that tarnished the credibility of EU institutions, the upcoming mandate offers a critical opportunity to enhance transparency around the influence of lobby groups on political actors. But what are the loopholes that remain?In this episode, host Giada Santana and Bram Vranken, a researcher at the Corporate Europe Observatory, dive into the murky waters of lobbying politics.

Hi, and welcome to the new season of EU Watchdog Radio, a podcast by Counter Balance and Corporate Europe Observatory. We changed the podcast a bit! Stay tuned for the second season of EU Watchdog Radio!

During the current and almost over EU legislature, the rise of far-right forces has come hand in hand with the stigmatisation, harassment, and violence against women and LGBTQI+ people.In this episode, Corporate Europe Observatory researcher and campaigner Kenneth Haar unveils the link between ultraconservative US foundations and right-wing forces across Europe. In the crosshairs outstands the Alliance Defending Freedom - a Christian right-wing organisation that, during the years, has worked hard to establish a transatlantic conservative network to roll back Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and LGBTQI+ rights.

Himlen over Bruxelles er en podcast som optakt til Europaparlamentsvalget 9. juni. I podcasten har vi inviteret en række ressourcepersoner på EU området ind for at snakke om venstrefløjens forhold til EU. Hvor står modstanden mod unionen nu hvor Folkebevægelsen mod EU ikke stiller op? Hvilken indflydelse har lobbyisterne i Bruxelles, og hvordan er venstrefløjens forhold til EU forandret over tid? Hvert afsnit er ca. 30 minutter langt. I andet afsnit har vi besøg af Kenneth Haar fra Corporate Europe Observatory, den selvbeskrevede lobbyvagthund i Bruxelles. Efter sigende skulle der være 30.000 lobbyister i Bruxelles. Vagthunden består af 13 mennesker. Hvordan kan man overhovedet gøre noget mod lobbyisme med de ods? Og hvordan fungerer lobbyismen egentligt i Europa? Kommer vi til at kunne genkende den, når den måske også påvirker denne valgkamp? Vi kommer vidt omkring og som altid med EU er der utroligt meget at lære.

From the start, Big Tech was involved in the EU's flagship law on artificial intelligence. But when the European Parliament tried to rein these giants in, the CEOs of Google, Open AI, and Microsoft descended upon Brussels. The result? A rush job and a law that prioritises profits over people. In this episode of Look Left, we dive into the AI Act with Left MEP Cornelia Ernst and Bram Vranken from Corporate Europe Observatory. We look at the influence Big Tech had over negotiations and ask if the law does enough to protect human rights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's one year since the Qatargate corruption scandal exploded across the EU institutions and a good time to review if and how things have changed in the Brussels Bubble. In this episode, Joana Louçã talks to Corporate Europe Observatory's researchers Olivier Hoedeman and Vicky Cann.WHO WE AREThis podcast is produced by CEO and Counter Balance. Both NGOs raise awareness on the importance of good governance in the EU by researching issues like lobbying of large and powerful industries, corporate capture of decision making, corruption, fraud, human rights violations in areas like Big Tech, agro-business, biotech & chemical companies, the financial sector & public investment banks, trade, energy & climate, scientific research and much more…You can find us on iTunes, Spotify & Buzzsprout. Stay tuned for more independent and in-depth information that concerns every EU citizen!

This week, we have two great guests on the show to explain what's at stake at COP28 and some of the biggest issues surrounding the conference. First, New York Times correspondent David Gelles joins to discuss what he'll be covering at COP28, why the recent US-China deal heading into the conference might provided a much needed jolt, and what to watch for when it comes to climate finance and the fund for loss and damage. Then, researcher and campaigner Pascoe Sabido joins the show to discuss a new analysis of the presence of fossil fuel lobbyists at UN climate talks and what it has meant to action on climate.  David Gelles is a correspondent on the Climate desk at The New York Times, covering the intersection of public policy and the private sector. Follow David's work at The New York Times here. Pascoe Sabido is a researcher and campaigner at the Corporate Europe Observatory and a co-cordinator of the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition Further Reading: Fossil fuel lobbyists attend UN climate talks more than 7000 times What a US-China climate deal means for COP28 Coming Soon: More oil, gas and coal

Whilst the world is trying to grapple with the reality of yet another food price crisis and growing hunger, we speak to those on the frontline to find out why the food system keeps failing and what we can do about it. In today's episode we dive into the role of large multinational companies in the food system and what citizens and campaigners can do to shift power in favour of people and planet. We speak to Nina Holland, who is a researcher and campaigner on food and agriculture at Corporate Europe Observatory. Her motto: “If you want to win a fight, you need to know what you're up against and how the system works.“ As many citizens and activists are figuring out how to challenge the disproportionate power of corporations in political decision making and our lives, we hear from Nina about the tricks, narratives, and the solutions that she sees. Keen to learn more about how to challenge corporate power - whether in the food system or beyond? Grab a coffee or tea and listen in on the conversation! Learn more about Nina's work and context:https://corporateeurope.org/en/2022/12/not-so-soft-killing-eus-farm-fork-strategyhttps://corporateeurope.org/en/2022/03/loud-lobby-silent-springhttps://corporateeurope.org/en/2021/10/leak-industrial-farm-lobbies-coordinated-attack-farm-fork-targets

Les références : GAFAM-Nation : un rapport éclairant sur le lobbying des GAFAM en France Rapport de 2021 du Corporate Europe Observatory sur le lobbying des GAFAM au niveau de l'Union Européenne (en anglais)Vous pouvez commenter les émissions, nous faire des retours pour nous améliorer, ou encore des suggestions. Et même mettre une note sur 5 étoiles si vous le souhaitez. Il est important pour nous d'avoir vos retours car, contrairement par exemple à une conférence, nous n'avons pas un public en face de nous qui peut réagir. Pour cela, rendez-vous sur la page dédiée.Pour connaître les nouvelles concernant l'émission (annonce des podcasts, des émissions à venir, ainsi que des bonus et des annonces en avant-première) inscrivez-vous à la lettre d'actus.

Welcome to episode 5! Today we speak to Barnaby Pace at Global Witness about the real world impacts of fossil fuel information and influence campaigns, spotlighting in particular last year's global climate negotiations, COP27.The Stop Funding Heat podcast is produced by Stop Funding Heat: www.stopfundingheat.infoRead our latest report "Cashing in on Climate Delay - Big Tech's Role in Greenwashing the Fossil Fuel Industry" at www.stopfundingheat.info/greenwashingThanks to our guest today, Barnaby Pace! Find him on twitter at twitter.com/barnabypaceReferencesGlobal Witness's report on fossil fuel lobbyists at COP27 https://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/over-100-more-fossil-fuel-lobbyists-last-year-flooding-crucial-cop-climate-talks/Natural gas enters EU taxonomy as potentially green energy https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220701IPR34365/taxonomy-meps-do-not-object-to-inclusion-of-gas-and-nuclear-activitiesA Crack In The Shell report https://www.ciel.org/reports/a-crack-in-the-shell/Head of UAE state oil company named as president of COP28 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64269436Fossil Free Politics coalition https://www.fossilfreepolitics.org/Conflict of interest background at COP27 from Corporate Accountability https://corporateaccountability.org/resources/primer-conflicts-of-interest-at-the-unfccc/Conflict of interest background in European Parliament from Corporate Europe Observatory https://corporateeurope.org/sites/default/files/new_code_old_conduct_report.pdfClimate town videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuVLG9pThvBABcYCm7pkNkA

Corporate Europe Observatory's researcher Kat Ainger, Olivier Hoedeman and Hans van Scharen talk about the corruption scandal and its' consequences.This is the 42nd episode of EU Watchdog Radio where we talk all things Qatargate. What the EPP is plotting against civil society, what the problems are with the current EU transparency register and what better examples are used in other countries. CEO has for almost a decade now been looking into human rights abusers hiring consultants and repressive regimes lobbying the EU using think tanks, front groups, and third party consultants, and we discuss some of the more scandalous case studies we have discovered in the past. Full lobby transparency isn't a magic wand, but it does help us to understand what the people employing these lobbyists want, who they are influencing, who they are employing, how much they are paying, who they are targeting, what their issues are. That scrutiny is essential to tackle corporate capture. WHO WE AREThis podcast is produced by CEO and Counter Balance. Both NGOs raise awareness on the importance of good governance in the EU by researching issues like lobbying of large and powerful industries, corporate capture of decision making, corruption, fraud, human rights violations in areas like Big Tech, agro-business, biotech & chemical companies, the financial sector & public investment banks, trade, energy & climate, scientific research and much more…You can find us on iTunes, Spotify & Buzzsprout. Stay tuned for more independent and in-depth information that concerns every EU citizen!

In this hard-hitting interview, Corporate Europe Observatory's Pascoe Sabido reflects on the outcome of COP27. While celebrating the success of the loss and damage agreement, he worries about the follow through on the Loss and Damage provisions-and the likely ways in which this finance is structured, with the reliance on debt and provide finance. Pascoe is a has spent many years researching the power of the fossil fuel industry—in particular its lobbying within the EU-and he explains in detail how the fossil fuel lobby operates and impacts policy in Europe. A powerful critique of the role of the fossil fuel industry-shot through with optimism -and hope--that change is coming, that people have had enough of our competition market-based economic system…that there is growing momentum for change, for a new economic approach, with more solidarity, and social justice, based on people's needs. Pascoe Sabido is a Researcher and Campaigner at a Brussels based non-profit research and campaign group whose aim is to "expose any effects of corporate lobbying on EU policy making". Pascoe's research is focused on exposing the power of the oil and gas industry in the European Union and at the level of the United Nations.

À boleia da guerra na Ucrânia e da consequente crise energética, aumentou a corrida aos combustíveis fósseis. África está no centro desta corrida e Moçambique não é excepção. Para segundo plano, ficam os interesses e direitos dos povos africanos. Moçambique é um dos países mais vulneráveis às alterações climáticas. Em 2019, dois ciclones, Kenneth e Idai, com ventos que excederam os 200km/hora varreram uma parte do país. Fenómenos como estes, devido ao aquecimento global do planeta, tendem a ser mais frequentes e mais violentos. O país continua a apostar na exploração de gás, sob a bandeira da independência e desenvolvimento económico do estado. Todavia, contas feitas, basta uma única época ciclónica agressiva para deitar por terra a esmagadora maioria da receita que o gás pode trazer para Moçambique. Os custos directos e indirectos associados ao Kenneth e Idai ultrapassam os 3 mil milhões de dólares. Dipti Bhatnagar, activista da Justiça Ambiental Moçambique e da ong Amigos da Terra participa na COP 27, em Sharm el Sheikh, Egipto, sublinha a necessidade de justiça climática para garantir a sobrevivência dos povos do sul, denuncia a corrida desenfreada aos fósseis e o poder da indústria do gás e petróleo nesta Cimeira do Clima em detrimento da sociedade civil. “Estamos na COP27 com um grupo de pessoas de todo o mundo para exigir justiça climática. Isto significa que os países desenvolvidos têm de parar de usar energias fósseis e dar financiamento para projectos em países do sul e financiamento para um transição. Por exemplo, em Moçambique, 70% da população não tem acesso a energia, a electricidade e isto deveria ser um direito humano. “Isto é sobre a sobrevivência dos países do sul, a sobrevivência das pessoas mais pobres e vulneráveis do planeta, temos de luta e fazer os possíveis para trazer estas histórias das pessoas que já estão a sofrer com as consequências das alterações climáticas.”  A activista critica ainda o facto da presença dos lobistas do gás e do petróleo ter aumentado em 25% este ano.  Segundo os cálculos da Global Witness, do Corporate Europe Observatory e da  Corporate Accountability “636 lobistas das energias fósseis, afectos aos gigantes poluidores do petróleo e do gás, inscreveram-se para as discussões climáticas". Este número representa um aumento de mais de 25% em relação à COP 26 que decorreu no final de 2021 em Glasgow. A Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre Alterações Climáticas decorre até dia 18 de Novembro, em Sharm el-Sheikh, no Egipto.

Interview de Hans van Scharen, en charge de la communication chez Corporate Europe Observatory.

Een deel van de Nederlandse boeren trekt de cijfers waarop het stikstofbeleid gebaseerd is in twijfel. Ook sommige Tweede Kamerleden en achterban van politieke partijen gaan daarin mee, terwijl de cijfers op wetenschappelijke feiten zijn gebaseerd. Hoe komt dat? Aan de vooravond van een groot boerenprotest tegen de stikstofplannen, vertellen bijzonder hoogleraar Public Affairs Arco Timmermans van de Universiteit Leiden en Nina Holland van de Brusselse lobbywaakhond Corporate Europe Observatory op welke manier de landbouwlobby die twijfel helpt te zaaien. En hoe ver de invloed van de boerenlobby strekt in Den Haag én in Brussel. Reageren? Mail dedag@radio1.nl

Med den ene hånd sender EU soldater for at løse konflikter i lande i Afrika. Med den anden fører EU en handels- og fiskeripolitik, der er med til at skabe fattigdom – og dermed grobund for selvsamme konflikter. Sådan lyder advarslen fra researcher hos vagthunden Corporate Europe Observatory, Kenneth Haar. "Hvis man kigger bag EU's sympatiske forsikringer om at sikre fred, stabilitet og menneskerettigheder i Afrika, så tegner der sig et helt andet billede", siger han.

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio we discuss France, French politics, the role that French President Emmanuel Macron wants to play in the EU and what vision he has for the future of Europe. Disclaimer: the French Presidency of the EU Council which started on 1 January promises a very corporate-driven future of Europe! An EU Presidency prepared in close collaboration with the French corporate sector which is setting a policy agenda that strongly reflects business demands. That was the verdict of Corporate Europe Observatory and Observatoire des multinationales in their new report “Under the influence: the distorted priorities of the French EU Council Presidency”, published in the run up to the start of the French Presidency on 1 January.The French Presidency will have a particular resonance both in France itself, coinciding as it does with President Macron's re-election campaign, and at the European level, with many critical pieces of legislation and policy on the line, including on climate, nuclear energy, digital technology, defence, tax, finance, health, corporate due diligence, and labour rights.But, the public interest looks to lose out where French multinationals could win. The French Government is set to promote its own vision for supporting powerful ‘champions' from among EU and especially French multinationals, no matter that these will not be very different from the overseas players that Macron criticises.Macron presented the agenda of his government's Presidency of the EU Council to the European Parliament in a plenary session in Strasbourg this week. A key word during his speech was ‘sovereignty', a buzzword in his recent speeches about Europe. The slogan of the French EU presidency, covering the first half of 2022, is "relance, puissance, appartenance" (revival, power, belonging). All three terms are variations of the concept of ‘sovereignty'.But what does Macron mean by this term, sovereignty,  and what implications does it have for EU citizens? And, by the way, what happened with the other famous three-word slogan connected to France: liberté, egalité fraternité? Or in other words what happened to French and  European democracy?To answer these questions we'll talk in this episode first to CEO researcher Vicky Cann and then Lora Verheecke, researcher for Observatorie des multinationales.This podcast is produced by CEO and Counter Balance. Both NGOs raise awareness on the importance of good governance in the EU by researching issues like lobbying of large and powerful industries, corporate capture of decision making, corruption, fraud, human rights violations in areas like Big Tech,  agro-business, biotech & chemical companies, the financial sector & public investment banks, trade, energy & climate, scientific research and much more…You can find us on iTunes, Spotify & Buzzsprout. Stay tuned for more independent and in-depth information that concerns every EU citizen!

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio we dive into the question on how the European governments are actually spending the billion and billions of EU recovery funds. We focus specifically on France, which is taking over the EU presidency as of 2022 (Under the influence | Corporate Europe Observatory) .The climate movements are preparing for the important climate summit which will take place in Glasgow, early November. All kinds of experts, like the scientists of the IPCC told us that we have ten years to curb  greenhouse gas emissions. And we should keep fossil fuels in the ground as much as possible.There are a lot of green and climate friendly speeches and commitments. But when you dig a bit deeper, it seems that billions of recovery funds are flowing into the bank-accounts of the fossil fuel industry or other sectors that are contributing to climate change. Despite their green rhetoric, the European commission and EU governments are allocating billions towards false solutions as hydrogen, the trojan horse for the gas industry, and the nuclear sector.In this episode we talk with Olivier Petitjean, researcher working for l'Observatoire des Multinationales in Paris. Together with other research organisations all over Europe, he published a first report (Hijacking the Recovery Through Hydrogen | Corporate Europe Observatory)  under the banner Recovery Watch, to monitor how all those European billions are being spent.Big corporations and their lobbyists are now cheering the so called solution for climate change, called hydrogen and a new generation of nuclear power plants. The French president Emmanuel Macron officially announced his support as the big plan for France, and is supported by at least ten eastern-European countries. So the move of the French president Macron to support nuclear and hydrogen was maybe somehow predictable but also bad news for a robust EU climate policy.  In January France will take over the Presidency of the EU Council for six months. Will Macron steer the EU in a more neo-liberal direction?This podcast is produced by CEO and Counter Balance. Both NGOs raise awareness on the importance of good governance in the European Union, by researching issues like lobbying of large and powerful industries, corporate capture of decision making, corruption, fraud, human rights violations in areas like agro-business, biotech & chemical companies, the financial sector & public investment banks, trade, energy & climate, scientific research and much more…You can find us on iTunes, Spotify & Buzzsprout. Stay tuned for more independent and in-depth information that concerns every EU-citizen!

Medicinalindustrien har sat turbo på sin lobbyisme i EU under coronakrisen. Det har ført til en alliance med EU om at forsvare patenter på vaccinerne mod verdens fattige. Det afslører Corporate Europe Observatory.

durée : 00:24:52 - Journal de 12h30 - C'est une victoire sans précédent pour les ONG, réunies au sein de l'Affaire du siècle. Après deux années de procédure, le tribunal administratif de Paris a reconnu que l'État français était coupable d'inaction climatique. - invités : Martin Pigeon porte-parole de Corporate Europe Observatory.

durée : 00:24:52 - Journal de 12h30 - C'est une victoire sans précédent pour les ONG, réunies au sein de l'Affaire du siècle. Après deux années de procédure, le tribunal administratif de Paris a reconnu que l'État français était coupable d'inaction climatique. - invités : Martin Pigeon porte-parole de Corporate Europe Observatory.

De lobby van Duitse bedrijven heeft grote invloed op wat er in Europa gebeurt. Duitse ondernemingen zijn actief en aanwezig in Brussel en investeren veel geld in hun lobby-activiteiten. Journalist Hans von der Burchard geeft in gesprek met Duitslandweb-redacteur Marja Verburg vanuit Brussel een kijkje achter de schermen van de Duitse lobby in de EU. Duitsland is sinds juli EU-voorzitter en daardoor nog invloedrijker in de EU. Voorafgaand aan het Duitse voorzitterschap waarschuwden organisaties als Lobbycontrol en Corporate Europe Observatory - die zich inzetten voor meer transparantie in Europa - daarom voor een nog grotere invloed van Duitse lobbyisten. Hoe oefenen Duitse bedrijven, de industrie maar bijvoorbeeld ook werkgeversorganisaties invloed uit in Brussel? Welke rol spelen de deelstaten in de Duitse lobby? Bij wie vinden Duitse lobbyisten in de EU gehoor en speelt het een rol dat de voorzitter van de Europese Commissie sinds vorig jaar de Duitse Ursula von der Leyen is? De Duitse journalist Hans von der Burchard werkt in Brussel voor politico.eu, de gezaghebbende nieuwssite over Europese politiek. Hij volgt onder meer de Duits-Europese en de Nederlands-Europese relaties en spreekt vloeiend Nederlands. https://www.politico.eu/staff/hans-joachim-von-der-burchard/ Dit is de vijfde aflevering van de podcastserie 'Achtung Europa', waarin het Duitsland Instituut Amsterdam met deskundigen spreekt over de Duitse rol in Europa. Meer achtergrond: Factsheet Duitsland en Europa (Duitslandweb, juli 2020): https://duitslandinstituut.nl/artikel/39177/factsheet-duitsland-en-europa Duitsland wil sterkere EU als antwoord op crisis (Duitslandweb, juli 2020): https://duitslandinstituut.nl/artikel/38621/duitsland-wil-sterkere-eu-als-antwoord-op-crisis Hoe Hongarije Duitse bedrijven aan zich bindt (Nieuwsuur 6-12-2020): https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2359556-de-uitzending-van-6-december-wat-kan-er-straks-met-kerst-volkstuinen-staan-onder-druk-komt-ruzie-hongarije-eu-nog-goed.html Zie ook de Nieuwsuur-uitzending zelf: https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2359556-de-uitzending-van-6-december-wat-kan-er-straks-met-kerst-volkstuinen-staan-onder-druk-komt-ruzie-hongarije-eu-nog-goed.html Die deutsche EU-Ratspräsidentschaft. Die Industrie in der Hauptrolle? (Studie Lobbycontrol, juni 2020): https://www.lobbycontrol.de/wp-content/uploads/Studie-deutsche-Ratspr%C3%A4sidentschaft-final-deutsch.pdf Wer ist die größte Lobbymacht in Brüssel? (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, augustus 2019): https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/schneller-schlau/lobbyismus-wer-ist-die-groesste-lobby-macht-in-bruessel-16328984.html Portretjes Sabine Weyand en Martin Selmayr (Overzicht Duitse topbestuurders in de EU, Duitslandweb, 2019): https://duitslandinstituut.nl/artikel/31608/duitsland-levert-vaak-de-tweede-man

Lobbying. A word that is often associated with corruption, conflict of interests and secrecy at the highest levels of power. Yes, almost like a spy novel!But can you really buy a vote by inviting a representative to Bali? Or influence decision making by sliding money under a desk? Rest assured, not really. While it may not be as exciting as movies and TV shows depict it, lobbying can be just as dangerous. We talk about this with Lala Hakuma Dadci, a fossil fuel campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory who tells us all about the tactics used and millions (€250 to be precise) poured into lobbying by the fossil fuel industry to weaken and influence climate policies in Europe. You're going to want to hear what happens behind the scenes.But lobbying can also be an incredible force for good! Yes, it's not just corporations and businesses with their thousands of lobbyists and big money that can have an impact on policy making. You can too! That's what we've learned talking to Alberto Alemanno, EU law professor and founder of The Good Lobby, an organisation that helps citizens make their voices heard at every level of power, from local to European.From why we've lost the habit of taking part in the democratic life to why the EU feels so distant and unreachable and what is the best tool to influence policy making, we ended our chat full of hope that everyone can become a citizen lobbyist. 

In this ninth episode, Belén Balanyá and Lala Hakuma Dadci both researcher and campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory, take a step back and have a critical look at what is currently happening with the EU flagship project the EU Green Deal (EGD).The EGD could be one of the most important and hopeful EU policy initiatives. It is testimony to civil society and citizens movement's impact. Excluding public investment funds to fossil fuel industries is key to foster a sustainable and just transition. But it seems the very active fossil fuel lobbyists are very happy with the long term European aim of carbon neutrality by 2050; In the mean time they have secured massive support for gas and hydrogen. The Hydrogen strategy, part of the EGD, confirms that the EU will continue supporting the use of fossil gas, a fuel as bad for the climate as any other fossil fuel.in the first 100 days of shaping the EGD, top Commission officials in charge of this priority, have met 151 times with business lobbyists, more than eleven times a week, while keeping hardly any records of these meetings. Worse than the high lobby-numbers is the fact that there is virtually no transparency on what is being discussed.Out of 56 meetings of lobbyists with Commissioner Timmermans and his Cabinet for which CEO requested minutes under the Freedom of Information rules, the EC claims to have only minutes  of three meetings. Many of the unrecorded meetings are with fossil fuel industry which has big stakes in shaping the EGD, such as Shell, Eurogas, PGE, Cefic, Eni or Gas Infrastructure Europe. CEO will be challenging this malpractice with the EU Ombudsman.Both CEO and Counter Balance raise awareness on the importance of good governance in the European Union, by researching issues like lobbying of large and powerful industries, corporate capture of decision making, corruption, fraud, human rights violations in areas like agro-business, biotech & chemical companies, the financial sector & public investment banks, trade, energy&climate, scientific research and much more…You can find us on iTunes, Spotify & Buzzsprout. Stay tuned for more independent and in-depth information that concerns every EU-citizen!

EU Watchdog Radio is a new podcast hosted jointly by Counter Balance and CEO. In the fifth episode, we talk with two experts from civil society organisations about the role of big financial institutions or companies in the economic recovery and Green Deal. Red line: there is enough money to finance climate proof and socially just change, but we need more scrutiny of how and where that money is being used.Xavier Sol from Counter Balance talks about the problems the European Investment Bank (EIB) has with preventing fraud and corruption. The EIB is one of the largest public investment banks in the world and basically the financial arm of the European Union. The bank will play an important role in the economic recovery plans of the EU  by pumping an extra 200 billion euro in the economy and wants to become the EU's Climate Bank. But according to new reports it is not up to the task in tackling fraud and corruption. For example European law on anti-money laundering does not apply to the EIB.Both CEO and Counter Balance raise awareness on the importance of good governance in the European Union, by researching issues like lobbying of large and powerful industries, corporate capture of decision making, corruption, fraud, human rights violations in areas like agro-business, biotech & chemical companies, the financial sector & public investmentbanks, trade, energy  &climate, scientific research and much more…You can find us on iTunes, Spotify & Buzzsprout. Stay tuned for more independent and in-depth information that concerns every EU-citizen! 

Flere danske landmænd vil gerne have lov til at skyde deres køer heriblandt en ven af programmet. Men hvorfor vil de det, og hvorfor må de det ikke længere må for EU? Det bliver vi klogere på i denne uges program, hvor vi også zoomer ind på klimaminister Dan Jørgensens biljagt i Bruxelles. Medvirkende: Bjarne Larsen, kvægavler, Christel Schaldemose (S), medlem af Europa-Parlamentet og Kenneth Haahr fra Corporate Europe Observatory.

Flere danske landmænd vil gerne have lov til at skyde deres køer heriblandt en ven af programmet. Men hvorfor vil de det, og hvorfor må de det ikke længere må for EU? Det bliver vi klogere på i denne uges program, hvor vi også zoomer ind på klimaminister Dan Jørgensens biljagt i Bruxelles. Medvirkende: Bjarne Larsen, kvægavler, Christel Schaldemose (S), medlem af Europa-Parlamentet og Kenneth Haahr fra Corporate Europe Observatory.

Learn about the secret weapon Canadian mining companies are using to extract money from developing countries when environmental measures, Indigenous rights and community resistance create democratic roadblocks to their extracting oil, gas and minerals. Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) is an increasingly controversial but still overlooked part of Canada's free trade agenda. The Trudeau government has pulled NAFTA's ISDS system out of the new deal with Trump, the USMCA, because of its negative impact on democracy. But Canada continues to maintain the corporate-biased arbitration system in dozens of trade and investment treaties with developing countries where, we must conclude, democratic institutions and environmental stewardship are seen as a nuisance. CCPA Monitor editor Stuart Trew interviews CCPA researcher Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, Mining Watch Canada campaigner Kirsten Francescone and Corporate Europe Observatory campaigner/researcher Pia Eberhardt about their recent work on ISDS and the prospects for eliminating it globally.

We are drowning in plastic. It is hard to exaggerate the scale and urgency of the challenge facing the world, to substantially reduce our plastics use, and to ensure we reuse and recycle as much and as quickly as possible. Vicky Cann from the Corporate Europe Observatory details how highly active corporate lobbyists are seeking to avoid binding regulations and are granted the lion's share of access to European Commission officials. Written by Vicky Cann and read by Julia Lagoutte. Text version: www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/plastic-promises-industry-seeking-to-avoid-binding-regulations/ Twitter: twitter.com/GreenEUJournal Facebook: facebook.com/greeneuropeanjournal

Om framgångssagan Vladimir Putin. Efter 18 år vid makten är han fortfarande populär. Och hans auktoritära modell sprids nu över världen. Hur kunde det bli så här? Vladimir Putin har skapat en modern diktatur, en diktatur utan ideologi, som smidigt använder sig av ny teknologi och en globaliserad ekonomi - en modell som nu sprider sig över världen. Det säger Rysslands mest kända och fräna regimkritiker, Garry Kasparov, före detta världsmästare i schack, med ett förflutet som rysk oppositionspolitiker, som numera bor i USA, där han är ordförande för organisationen Human Rights Foundation. Konflikts Ivar Ekman träffade honom när han var på besök i Stockholm. Veckans Konflikt söker förklaringar till Vladimir Putins framgångar: Är det den ryska historien? Är det Putins medhjälpare i väst? Eller finns svaret i djupet i det mänskliga psyket?   För många har begreppet Putins Ryssland blivit synonymt med ett system som utvecklats i en alltmer auktoritär riktning - där oliktänkande på olika sätt trycks tillbaka, eller straffas, där pengarna styrs uppifrån och där medborgarna matas med bilden av en framgångssaga genom en välsmord tv-propaganda. En del talar till och med om att det gamla Sovjetsystemet är på väg tillbaka. Hur blev det så här - och vilken roll har Vladimir Putin själv spelat för att skapa ett auktoritärt system? Sveriges Radios korrespondent Johanna Melén intervjuar journalisten Marina Litvinovitj och den politiske konsulten Gleb Pavlovskij, som båda var med och arbetade med Vladimir Putin när han kom till makten 1999, men som i dag är mycket kritiska till resultatet av hans år vid makten. Hon träffar också den politiska analytikern Dmitrij Oresjkin och Aleksej Muchin som leder Centret för politisk information i Moskva och som skrivit flera böcker om Vladimir Putin. Muchin menar att Putins Ryssland har blivit en förebild ute i världen. Ofta kan man i andra länder höra, också i Europa, att "vi skulle vilja ha en sådan president som Putin", säger Aleksej Muchin till Johanna Melén. Vad är det som gör den här politiska modellen en stark, populär ledare i en svag, korrupt fejkdemokrati står så stabilt på världsarenan, och verkar vara på frammarsch i så många delar av världen? Kan det vara så att en del av förklaringarna till Putins framgångar, både som ledare i Ryssland och som modell utomlands, ligger i djupet av människans psyke? Konflikts Ivar Ekman ringde upp den amerikanska doktoranden Matthew MacWilliams som studerat den auktoritära personligheten i politiken och statsvetarprofessorn Marc Hetherington, vid Vanderbildtuniversitetet USA. Vi hör också Theodor W Adorno som intervjuades av Ingegerd Lundgren i Sveriges Radio i maj 1965. En annan faktor att ta in är att auktoritära regimer har blivit bra på att marknadsföra sig, putsa upp sina fasader utåt. Det kan de göra med hjälp av västliga PR-byråer. Konflikts Anja Sahlberg försöker förstå PR-byråernas, lobbyisternas och konsulternas ljusskygga värld. Hon pratar med Katharine Ainger som arbetar för Corporate Europe Observatory i Bryssel och Lydia Dennett på Project On Government Oversight i Washington. Kampsport är en ingrediens i Vladimir Putins framgångsrecept.Han har svart bälte i judo och har tränat den ryska kampsporten sambo, ett självförsvarssystem som utvecklats i det forna Sovjetunionen för specialförbandet Spetsnaz. I Vasastan i Stockholm tränar 25-åriga Bakhruz Nagdaliev från Ryssland. Han tror på Putin och det han själv kallar den ryska mentaliteten - att kunna slåss och försvara sig. Konflikts Sofia Pappa träffade honom efter ett träningspass.   Programledare: Ivar Ekman ivar.ekman@sverigesradio.se Producent: Anja Sahlberg anja.sahlberg@sverigesradio.se

As the end of the gargantuan research funding programme, “Horizon 2020” comes into view, we talk to Mr. Martin Pigeon from the Corporate Europe Observatory about the problems the programme has presented since its introduction in 2014, and how its successor, “FP9” might become a “giant battle for subsidies”. This podcast forms part of a series, produced and disseminated by ESNA Media, on the subject of higher education and science policy. Produced and edited by Tino Brömme and Ewan Consterdine Music by Zende Music ESNA European Higher Education News, Berlin www.esna.tv FULL INTERVIEW TEXT AVAILABLE HERE https://tinyurl.com/esna-pigeon

Podcast da reportagem sobre o Corporate Europe Observatory, uma ONG que investiga casos de portas giratórias e lobbying entre as grandes empresas multinacionais e a Comissão Europeia e o Parlamento Europeu. Com o depoimento de Margarida Silva, que trabalha na ONG.

Europe : manuel de l'usager Le plus tôt c'est le mieux Bruxelles est la capitale du lobbying en Europe. Pascal Kerneis dirige ESF, un cabinet incontournable pour défendre les intérêts des entreprises. Ses clients ? Le Medef, Orange, Veolia... Comme un grand nombre de lobbyistes, Pascal a commencé sa carrière au sein même de la Commission européenne. Et il fait aujourd'hui partie du groupe d'experts qu'elle consulte sur le traité transatlantique TTIP... Loin de craindre les médias, ESF tente de les utiliser pour servir son combat : la libéralisation des services et la défense du traité. Un petit guide du bon lobbying que ne contredira pas Martin Pigeon, de Corporate Europe Observatory, un groupe alter qui organise un "Lobby tour" de la capitale européenne. En partenariat avec Mediapart. Enregistrements : 23 avril, 2 mai 14 - Mise en ondes & mix : Samuel Hirsch - Réalisation : Pascale Pascariello