Amazon Lobbyists Banned From European Parliament

Republished By Plato

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Amazon lobbyists are no longer welcome in the European Parliament. Their access passes are being revoked due to concerns over transparency and working conditions, marking a rare decision.

This is only the second time in the history of the European Parliament that lobbyists from a company have been denied access, following the controversial agricultural biotechnology firm Monsanto in 2017. Amazon faces a significant setback in its engagement with the European legislature.

Repeated refusal

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola acted on the insistence of a group of MEPs. They highlighted Amazon’s repeated refusal to engage in dialogue regarding its labour practices, stating: “It is unreasonable for members to be lobbied by Amazon while at the same time being deprived of the right to represent the interests of European citizens and inquire about claims of breaches of fundamental rights enshrined in EU treaties and EU labour laws.”

European Amazon lobby

The European lobbying efforts of Amazon involve both direct representatives – with 14 individuals accredited in the European Parliament’s transparency register – and intermediaries working for various companies, according to the Financial Times.

Amazon has 14 accredited lobbyists in Brussels.

American online marketplace giant Amazon reportedly spends millions of euros annually on lobbying European institutions. The MEPs’ call was supported by an open letter from 30 civil society organizations, emphasizing longstanding criticism of Amazon’s treatment of its workers and asserting that EU policy-making is not for sale.

Engagement with policymakers

Amazon, the market leader in European ecommerce, has responded to the ban, stating: “We are very disappointed with this decision, as we want to engage constructively with policymakers. As a company that has been active in the European Union for more than 25 years and now has more than 150,000 permanent employees here, we take our engagement with policymakers in Brussels and across Europe extremely seriously.”

Amazon: ‘We are very disappointed.’

The lobby ban for Amazon in Europe underscores the EU’s increasing scrutiny of large tech companies, emphasizing the need for compliance with regulations and social responsibility.