Corporate Europe Observatory has published a leak from the European car lobby group ACEA in the form of a presentation by them to the Commission in February 2015, right in the middle of the lobbying battle over the “Real Driving Emissions” (RDE) tests.
This is a rare glimpse into the lobbying strategies of the car industry and it explodes the notion that there is no conflict of interest involved in letting car manufacturers into the heart of EU decision-making on the regulation of the industry. It shows how a secretive weekend meeting between ACEA and the Commission guided the car industry's strategy on RDE tests, how manufacturers were prepared to compromise far further if pushed (but never needed to), and how ACEA used member states to block proposals it didn't like when the Commission stood its ground.
This document shows the threat to citizens posed by the all too cosy relations between the Commission and industry lobbies working to influence legislation. The sophisticated strategy of the car manufacturers' lobby to weaken and delay the new rules was clearly developed in tandem with public officials. This toxic industry should be regulated by the EU in the public interest, yet the Commission is helping it to formulate and execute its lobbying strategy.
Full article with leaked document and analysis: http://corporateeurope.org/power-lobbies/2016/03/leak-shows-commission-giving-inside-information-car-lobby-new-emissions-tests
Cover Photo:Getty/ Keystone/Hulton
