European Commission's DG Trade reply to questions raised by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)

In a post, Oliver Hoedeman of Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) wrote:

'the European Commission's DG Trade has finally replied to questions raised by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) about the privileged access and influence of industry lobby groups like the Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue(TABD) and the European Services Forum (ESF). For a bit of background on these issues, see http://www.corporateeurope.org/Mandelsonindenial.html

'On January 18 2005, CEO wrote to EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, forwarding him an Open Letter from a very large number of civil society groups ('European Commission Must Act to Curb Excessive Corporate Lobbying Power',http://www.corporateeurope.org/barroso.html) with a separate letter specifically asking him how he - as the new Trade Commissioner - sees the role of the TABD and the ESF (see http://www.corporateeurope.org/lettertomandelson.html).

'...let me just mention that Mr. Liddle's letter contains a number of factual errors (such as the European Services Forum being part of the Civil Society Contact Group, this is simply untrue).'

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Cabinet of Commissioner Peter Mandelson Member of the Cabinet

Brussels, 18 July 2005 Cab24/PM/RL/kr/D(2005)D 11 09

Erik Wesselius
Corporate Europe Observatory De Wittenstraat 25
1052 AK Amsterdam Netherlands

Dear Mr Wesselius,

Thank you for your email of 23 June asking for a comment on what you claim is 'privileged access accorded to business lobby groups'. You identify two rather different cases.

To take ESF first, this organisation is represented by the Civil Society Contact Group, along with a wide range of other organisations, including NGOs, who are therefore in a position to judge directly what access is granted at that level. ESF representatives regularly attend Civil Society Dialogue meetings too, along with other, non-business organisations, on the same basis as these other organisations.

Outside civil society meetings, ESF organises meetings from our premises to which the Commission is invited, and which it attends when possible. The Commission also attends meetings organised by NGOs and makes a point of responding positively to requests for meetings with NGOs outside the structured dialogue meetings, whenever possible. Your ailegation that ESF has 'privileged access' is therefore without foundation.

All civil society organisations wishing to take similar initiatives in calling meetings, or otherwise offering substantive contributions on services, are welcome to do so, and the Commission certainly tries to take part and/or respond to input whenever possible. The Commission is open to considering alternative points of view and wishes to actively encourage this. If there is perceived unfairness or unevenness in access, then it is open to non-business organisations to balance this. The Commissioner would certainly welcome this kind of initiative and does not believe in discriminating in favour of or against any party.

With regard to your comments regarding the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD), DG TRADE has always scrupulously observed a strict equidistance at all Transatlantic Dialogues, whether they represent business as the T ABD, or consumers, as the Transatlantic Consumers Dialogue (TACD).

The TABD and the TACD have equal access to DG TRADE services and both took part, on an equal footing, in the recent stakeholder consultation on the future of transatlantic economic relations. Both Dialogues participated in a Senior-Level Group meeting with high-ranking EU and US government officials ahead of the EU-US Summit on 20 June to discuss the proposals they had made during the stakeholder consultation. Your allegation that TABD has 'privileged access' to DG TRADE is therefore also unfounded.

Your input is a useful reminder of the benefits of being open to a wide range of contacts and points of view, and we will endeavour to maintain this in the hope of constructive engagement with all parties.

Yours

Roger Liddle

Commission europeenne, B-1 049 Bruxelles I Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel- Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11. Office: BERL 09/36. Telephone: direct line (32-2) 2920851. Fax: (32-2) 2996087.

E-mail: Roger.Liddle@cec.eu.int