Scientists say that light travels through space at a staggering 299,792,458 metres per second. Unfortunately the Sky and Space Intergroup is more like a black hole when it comes to how transparent it is.

The Sky and Space Intergroup brings together MEPs who want to work on aerospace issues, and, being an official intergroup, enjoys use of the European parliament’s facilities. What’s a little harder to find out though is that the secretariat of the Intergroup is run by the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), the industry lobbying association for the aerospace and arms industries. ASD have openly admitted using the intergroup to lobby MEPs. They lobby for liberalization of the arms and aerospace markets and push the EU to spend tax payers money on research and development in their sector.

By failing to declare this support in the declaration of financial interests in the European Parliament, the Sky and Space Intergroup breaks the already weak transparency rules at the parliament and goes where other registered Intergroups don’t dare to go.

So vote for the Sky and Space Intergroup, cos the truth is out there, somewhere!

Further Information: 

Transparency Boost Needed for European Parliament Cross-Party Groups, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), October 2006