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Lobbying at the EU

Who lobbies the European Union?

2,706 organisations with their headquarters in Belgium are in the European transparency register. They try to influence European laws and decisions. Since December 2024 they have had 10,669 meetings with the European Commission between them.

What is lobbying? (click to read)
  • Lobbying means trying to influence the decisions of politicians and civil servants: through conversations, studies, letters or events. This is allowed and is done by companies, but also by trade unions, environmental organisations and cities.
  • Anyone who wants to meet the European Commission or the European Parliament must be in the transparency register and state how much money and how many people are spent on it.
  • The amounts are reported by the organisations themselves, in ranges (e.g. "between 1 and 1.25 million euros"). Nobody checks them all.
  • A European federation with its headquarters in Brussels often represents companies from all over Europe. That is why there are so many organisations in Belgium.
  • We do not show self-employed individuals (people).

Organisations

2,706

Reported lobbying costs per year

€ 387.6 million – € 499.5 million

Of 1,580 companies, federations and trade unions that report this.

Access badges for the European Parliament

3,751

Lobbyists who can walk in freely.

Who are they?

  • NGOs and citizens’ organisations 945
  • Trade and professional federations 769
  • Companies 241
  • Consultancies 208
  • Trade unions and professional associations 197
  • Think tanks and research institutions 117
  • Other organisations and public institutions 98
  • Associations of public authorities (e.g. cities and regions) 45
  • Churches and religious or philosophical communities 33
  • Universities and colleges 26
  • Law firms 25
  • Institutions from countries outside the EU 2

Biggest lobbying budgets

What they report themselves for lobbying work at the EU, per year.

  1. CEFIC - European Chemical Industry Council Trade and professional federations more than € 10 million
  2. Alliance for AI, IoT and Edge Continuum Innovation IVZW Trade and professional federations more than € 10 million
  3. BUSINESSEUROPE Trade and professional federations € 6 million – € 6.5 million
  4. Insurance Europe Trade and professional federations € 6 million – € 6.5 million
  5. Association des Constructeurs Européens d'Automobiles Trade and professional federations € 5.5 million – € 6 million
  6. FuelsEurope Trade and professional federations € 4.5 million – € 5 million
  7. European Banking Federation Trade and professional federations € 4.5 million – € 5 million
  8. Hydrogen Europe Trade and professional federations € 4.5 million – € 5 million
  9. Eurocities NGOs and citizens’ organisations € 4 million – € 4.5 million
  10. ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Companies € 4 million – € 4.5 million

Most meetings with the European Commission

With commissioners, their private offices or directors-general, since December 2024.

  1. BUSINESSEUROPE Trade and professional federations 181 meetings
  2. CEFIC - European Chemical Industry Council Trade and professional federations 160 meetings
  3. European farmers Trade and professional federations 141 meetings
  4. Association des Constructeurs Européens d'Automobiles Trade and professional federations 138 meetings
  5. Transport and Environment (European Federation for Transport and Environment) NGOs and citizens’ organisations 130 meetings
  6. European Environmental Bureau NGOs and citizens’ organisations 125 meetings
  7. European agri-cooperatives Trade and professional federations 121 meetings
  8. Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs NGOs and citizens’ organisations 114 meetings
  9. EuroCommerce Trade and professional federations 98 meetings
  10. The European Steel Association Trade and professional federations 95 meetings

Source: EU transparency register and meetings of the European Commission with interest representatives (European Commission, reuse allowed with credit to the source). Amounts as reported by the organisations themselves.