Flaws of EU Exposed at Lobby Awards Ceremony in Brussels

The Worst EU Lobbying Awards 2008 are organized by Corporate Europe Observatory, Friends of the Earth Europe, LobbyControl and Spinwatch.

This 27-minute video has all the highlights.

From: http://www.worstlobby.eu/
The winners of the 2008 Worst EU Lobbying Awards have been revealed at a ceremony in Brussels yesterday evening, despite a last minute attempt to gag the organisers with legal action from one of the candidates. More than 8500 people took part in the online public vote.

One of the candidates for the Worst Conflict of Interest Award, suspended Commission official Fritz-Harald Wenig, unsuccessfully tried to silence the Worst EU Lobbying Awards last week by taking legal action in the Court of First Instance in Brussels to have his name removed from the nominations and not have his name mentioned during the Worst Lobbying Awards ceremony. The court ruled that freedom of speech was more important in this case.

With more than 50% of the votes, the Award for the Worst EU Lobbying 2008 is jointly won by the agrofuel lobbyists of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, Brazilian sugar barons UNICA and energy company Abengoa Bioenergy. They were jointly nominated for their use of misleading information and greenwash to influence crucial debates in the European Parliament and Council by claiming that agrofuels (crops used for fuel for cars and lorries) are sustainable.

The Worst Conflict of Interest Award 2008 goes to the Finnish MEP Piia-Noora Kauppi, with 26% of the votes cast. MEP Kauppi has been promoting the interests of her future employer, a banking lobbying group, while still an active member of the European Parliament. Kauppi has consistently urged light-touch regulation for the banking sector and in January 2009 will officially be employed by the Federation of Finnish Financial Services.

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[Hellooo20]

freedom is an illusion

[Judep22]

NOW WE WANT TO KNOW THE EU EXPENSES!!!

The accounts of the EU have NEVER been signed off by accountants because even THEY do not believe them!!

How can we vote for the EU when they vote to keep their expenses secret!!

PORK BELLY POLITICS. We the people count for nothing. we are simply the proletariat.

MORE PLEBS PLEASE!

[jjamesbondoviza]

Well I remember Havier Solana as the greatest Warmonger and for bombing of innocent childrena and women in Yougoslavia 1999! Not a sign of a Humane being in this Best Havier Solana. Now this person rules alone both USA, NATO and ES!

[Spenner56]

Are the Czechs ready to stop this madness ?

The Lisbon Treaty (Article 33,paragraph 6) allows the EU executive (WITHOUT CONSULTATION) the right to change or declare null & void ALL rules;regulations;laws present in existing treaties relating to the ECONOMY ;TAX ;CIVIL SOCIETY ;environment etc.

« Sorry,this is a dictatorial constitution » (Prof. Schachttschneider, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg).

Vote for true DEMOCRACY in this summers European elections & save FREEDOM in Europe !

[Selasia]

Good initiative.

The momentum against the Vatocan-Jesuit-SMOM-Black Nobility evil empire is building.

Soon the gloves will come off, and they will be exposed for the fascists that they are.

[TheHairyHeart]

Excellent!