More than 40 civil society organisations have denounced today's Commission proposal on regulatory cooperation as an instrument to undermine democratic principles and the right to regulate in the public interest. "The proposal enables the US to exert undue influence at a very early stage of decision-making, before any proposal has even been considered by elected bodies in the EU. This is unacceptable, because it undermines democratic principles," says Kenneth Haar from Corporate Europe Observatory.
Not only is the US allowed to influence EU legislation, business is also continuously provided with an extra opportunity to co-write regulation.

"The proposal provides big business groups with the tools they have been demanding to influence legislation. Institutionalising lobbying at the earliest stage of legislation strengthens business' privileged access to DG Trade and its policy-making," says Max Bank from LobbyControl.

You can read the statement here.

Cover photo: getty/ THIERRY CHARLIER