Amazon lobbyists banned from European Parliament
Amazon lobbyists are no longer welcome in the European Parliament. Their access passes are being revoked due to concerns over transparency and working conditions, which is 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.
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.”
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.
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.
Amazon, the market leader in European ecommerce, has responded to the ban, stating that they are very disappointed with this decision. It has been active in the European Union for more than 25 years and now has more than 150,000 permanent employees there. The company takes their engagement with policymakers in Brussels and across Europe extremely seriously and wants to continue doing this.
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.