By Martin Banks - 12th February 2009
It cannot be right that it is advised by groups dominated by commercial interests
Christine Pohl
Environmental campaigners have said that groups set up to advise the commission on controversial issues are “unbalanced and undemocratic.”
Friends of the Earth Europe say that composition of most high level groups established by Gunter Verheugen's enterprise and industry directorate is “skewed” in favour of industry interests.
The group on Thursday said their recommendations and conclusions are “geared towards improving the competitiveness of European business at the expense of other public interests.”
In its report, the organisation urges the commission to stop setting up such groups, or any other advisory bodies, until “fair and transparent” mechanisms for their creation have been established.
The author of the report, the organisation’s transparency campaigner Christine Pohl, said," The commission has a duty to protect the environment through its policies so it cannot be right that it is advised by groups dominated by commercial interests.
"The commission's failure to take into account a broad range of different views is in clear contradiction with its own consultation standards."
The report - 'Whose views count? Business influence and the European commission's high level groups' – claims that on important and controversial policy issues such as climate change, chemicals and food, policies are formulated on the advice of bodies “strongly biased” in favour of commercial interests.
“These findings raise serious concerns over the democratic nature of decision-making within the commission,” she said.
Of the seven groups run by the enterprise DG, he said two were dominated by industry representatives and four were “unbalanced” in favour of industry. Only one was not significantly unbalanced, she said.
No-one from the commission was immediately available for comment.
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