Lifting the Lid on Lobbying in Bulgaria

The report “Access all areas: when EU politicians become lobbyists” is a comprehensive analysis of 512 former EU Commissioners and MEPs and their after-office employment. The report shows that companies are employing former officials to gain access, influence and proximity to policy-making. For example, 50% of Google’s registered lobbyists used to work for the EU. 26 MEPs who left the European Parliament in 2014 are currently working for Brussels lobbying consultancies.

Transparency International EU are calling for the EU institutions to match international best practice. A strong ethics oversight body, like those in France and Canada, should oversee ethics and revolving doors cases in the EU Institutions and be able to impose sanctions. A cooling-off period for Members of the European Parliament should be introduced as a matter of urgency.

The full report is available here: http://transparency.eu/access-all-areas/

The full career-paths of 485 former MEPs and 27 former Commissioners are available on EU Integrity Watch: www.integritywatch.eu/revolvingdoor