Pressure Mounts: Call to Ban Amazon Lobbyists from European Parliament

Pressure Mounts: Call to Ban Amazon Lobbyists from European Parliament

(IN BRIEF) Trade unions and civil society organizations are rallying behind Members of European Parliament (MEPs) in their call to revoke Amazon lobbyists’ access to the European Parliament following the tech giant’s repeated refusal to engage with parliamentary committees regarding working conditions in its warehouses. The MEPs’ demand, backed by over 30 trade unions and civil society groups, emphasizes concerns over Amazon’s dismissive attitude toward democratic scrutiny and trade unions, coupled with its extensive lobbying efforts in European institutions. The pressure on Amazon is part of a broader campaign led by the Make Amazon Pay initiative, seeking accountability for alleged labor exploitation, antitrust violations, tax avoidance, and environmental negligence. The collective stance underscores the commitment to uphold democratic principles within the European Parliament and holds corporate entities accountable for their actions.

(PRESS RELEASE) BRUSSELS, 12-Feb-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Trade unions and civil society organisations are throwing their weight behind Members of European Parliament’s (MEPs)  demand to strip Amazon lobbyists of their parliamentary access. On 5 February, MEPs on the European Parliament’s Employment Committee sent an official letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, urging the withdrawal of lobbying badges from the tech giant’s representatives, effectively barring them from the Parliament’s corridors.

The decisive action came in response to Amazon’s refusal to engage with the Employment Committee on crucial issues concerning working conditions within its warehouses. Amazon declined an invitation to participate in a hearing, reportedly saying “it was not a good day for them”. Amazon is a frequent visitor to the EU Parliament. In January alone, it had nine meetings with MEPs, including a meeting just a day after the hearing.

Amazon already refused to testify at a previous hearing in 2021, and after the company cancelled a visit by an MEP delegation to its warehouses in Germany and Poland scheduled for December 2023. On the exact same day as the hearing, Amazon was also fined €32 million for “excessively intrusive” surveillance of workers in its warehouses in France, underlining its exploitative working conditions.

Now, a coalition of over 30 trade unions and civil society groups is supporting the MEPs’ demand in an open letter to EP President Roberta Metsola, voicing deep concerns over Amazon’s dismissive attitude toward democratic scrutiny and trade unions, coupled with its substantial investments in lobbying efforts.

The letter argues that “Amazon’s disregard for the EU’s democratic institutions should not allow the company to get off the hook.” Its signatories, which include major European trade union federations like UNI Europa, lobby and corporate power watchdogs Corporate Europe Observatory, LobbyControl and SOMO, ask Metsola “to implement Rule 123 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament and call for an immediate withdrawal of all lobbying badges of the company.”

Numbers from LobbyFacts.eu show that, since 2013, Amazon has allocated a staggering €18.8 million towards lobbying European institutions, showing the company’s commitment to influencing policy decisions. Additionally, Amazon currently employs fourteen lobbyists accredited by the European Parliament.

Further, a formal complaint filed by CEO, LobbyControl, and SOMO has triggered an investigation by the Transparency Register secretariat into irregularities surrounding Amazon’s registration. Allegations include undisclosed affiliations with various think tanks and a potentially underestimated lobbying budget. On 8 February, the European Ombudsman “asked the EU Transparency Register’s Secretariat to carry out more thorough and meaningful investigations when it comes to public complaints concerning alleged breaches of the code of conduct by registered organisations.”

The mounting pressure on Amazon is part of a broader campaign led by the Make Amazon Pay campaign, which mobilised strikes and protests across more than 30 countries on Black Friday 2023. The conglomerate’s track record, marred by allegations of exploitative labour practices, antitrust violations, tax avoidance and environmental negligence, has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups worldwide.

On this, Bram Vranken, Corporate Europe Observatory researcher and campaigner, says: “While Amazon invests massively in lobbying in Europe, the company shows an utter disregard for democratic scrutiny of its exploitative business model. We should not allow the company to get off the hook and immediately withdraw all of its lobbying badges.”

Oliver Roethig, UNI Europa Regional Secretary, adds: “Amazon treats our parliaments, our democratic institutions, like its workers: with contempt. Therefore, we welcome Members of the European Parliament taking a concrete step to ban Amazon lobbyists from entering Parliament. By drawing a clear red line, they are saying that Amazon’s anti-democratic behaviour won’t be tolerated – whether that’s towards trade unions or parliaments.”

Margarida Silva, SOMO researcher, adds: “Amazon is one of the biggest companies operating in Europe, and wields immense power over smaller businesses and workers. In the past years, it has also increased its lobbying of EU policy-makers. Yet, the company has rejected even minimal parliamentary scrutiny over its business. This is an affront to democracy .”

Max Bank, LobbyControl campaigner, concludes: “It is disrespectful not to attend a parliamentary hearing. This must have consequences for Amazon. Withdrawing the company’s lobby badges is the right signal. Anyone who behaves disrespectfully towards parliament does not deserve to be heard there either.”

Trade unions and civil society organisations’ collective stance underscores the urgency of holding corporate entities accountable for their actions. Ultimately, it reaffirms the commitment to upholding democratic principles within the European Parliament.

Notes to editor:
The Make Amazon Pay campaign is a coalition of over 80 unions, civil society organisations, environmentalists and tax watchdogs. It has organised strikes and protests in over 30 countries.

• In November 2023, CEO, LobbyControl and SOMO documented how Amazon has been ramping up its lobby presence across Europe.
• In November 2023 LobbyControl published a legal opinion showing how the German competition authority can break up Amazon.
• In June 2023, SOMO published a report on Amazon’s monopoly over third-party sellers in its European marketplace.
• CEO and LobbyControl have documented how economic consultancies are spamming DG Competition on behalf of their Big Tech clients.
• Information on Amazon’s European Parliament lobby meetings provided by parltrack.eu

In January 2023, UNI Global Union released an international study of the effects of Amazon’s intrusive monitoring on workers’ mental health.

Media Contacts:

Bram Vranken
Corporate Europe Observatory researcher and campaigner
bram@corporateeurope.org
+32 497 131464

Margarida Silva
SOMO researcher
margarida@somo.nl
+32487823541

Max Bank
LobbyControl researcher and campaigner
presse@lobbycontrol.de
+49 30 467 26 72 11

Daniel Kopp
UNI Europa Director of Communications
daniel.kopp@uniglobalunion.org
+49 160 553 58 57

SOURCE: Corporate Europe Observatory