The Austrian and Finnish EU Presidencies
For organising a meeting to provide the biotech industry with an exclusive golden opportunity to lobby decision-makers while keeping NGOs outside.

On the 20th of June the outgoing and incoming Presidencies of the EU – Austria and Finland – organised a high-level meeting on Europe’s future biotechnology strategy. While EuropaBio, the lobby group for the biotech industry was there in force, environmental NGOs were refused entry. When Friends of the Earth (FoE) asked to attend they were told that the meeting was full, but an anonymous call minutes earlier received a different reply – registration was still possible.

EuropaBio were not only attendees: they sent out official invitations on behalf of the Presidencies, “Company CEOs and executives who attend can expect to meet decision makers and network with other industry players.” In a press release the lobby group explains that: “Industry and both Austrian as well as Finnish presidencies will meet in Helsinki to discuss the biotech issues that should be on the European agenda for the next 6 months”

At the meeting the biotech industry – apart from helping set the biotech agenda for the EU – was presented with the preliminary results of a major Commission study, even before the period for input from other, less favored, stakeholders had finished.

The meeting, organised in collaboration with the European Commission, is part of the mid-term review of the EU’s 8-year biotechnology strategy, which sets the course for EU policy. The review has until now been far more open for industry than for NGOs, “a back-slapping exercise for the biotech industry”, as a Friends of the Earth spokeswoman has put it.

For Further Information:

Friends of the Earth exposes EU for secret biotech industry bias. Incoming Finnish Presidency and European Commission organise closed doors, pro-industry biotech meeting, Friends of the Earth Europe press release, 20 June 2006

EU Biotech strategy – mid term review turns into mid-life crisis, Friends of the Earth Europe, Biotech Mailout, July 2006 (p. 1-3)

Austrian and Finnish Presidencies Roundtable on biotechnology opens June 20th in Helsinki, EuropaBio press release, 14 June 2006

Austria and Finland boost Competitiveness of EU Biotech in 2006 EU Presidencies meeting, EuropaBio press release, 20 June 2006




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June wrote on 01-11-2005:
Blatant - nothing inherently wrong with lobbying - FoE has to do it too - but it should be equal access - we all know it isn't but we have to expose the undemocratic nature.

wolfy wrote on 01-11-2005:
That really makes me ashame of being an Austrian ... but OTOH I doubt if this really had to do with the fact that the presidencies where specifically austrian or finnish, and not more with the fact that the EU lacks significantly in (more) democratic structures...

BRAMMER, Gerarda wrote on 01-11-2005:
A car sales representative is selling cars. A representative of the people is selling the people. This is quite normal, but in this case they did it so well, that they really should become a price.

Nikki Packham wrote on 01-11-2005:
Outrageous. Give them the award and then publicise it to the world! People should know what democracy at the EU level really means.

Danny Mendel wrote on 01-11-2005:
I think these cases are the worst, where actual members of the EU help lobby at the EP. Reminds me of Ireland's shameless support of software patents during their presidency.