Lobbyists from US oil giants ExxonMobil and Koch Industries, mining company Nyrstar, French energy firm TotalEnergies and car hire multinational Enterprise Mobility made the trip in May to a sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg with a plan.
The group was being advised by Teneo, a New York-based firm, about how best they could lobby the EU system.
Leaked internal records of discussions between Teneo and the group of predominantly US firms, seen by the Irish Times, detail a elegant and co-ordinated campaign to lobby for new EU regulations on companies to be rolled back.
the documents reveal the methods used by large multinationals and lobbying firms to shape the political system towards their interests.
the records, leaked to non-governmental Dutch corporate watchdog somo and shared with The Irish Times, include notes and presentation slides prepared by Teneo for 17 meetings of a group of companies, discussing a behind-the-scenes campaign targeting two key EU laws.
The ad-hoc group, called the Competitiveness Roundtable, included ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, US oil giants Chevron and Baker Hughes, bankers JP Morgan and car rental firm Enterprise, among others.
In their sights were two EU rules due to come into effect shortly.
One would require large companies to investigate and clamp down on human rights abuses or environmental harm within their supply chains,and the other would make firms regularly report on the impact their business had on the environment.
When European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen started her second term at the top of the EU’s executive body late last year, making Europe more economically competitive was high on the agenda. The German politician said that would mean “simplifying” rules coming from Brussels, to cut the amount of red tape on businesses.
The supply-chain due diligence and sustainability reporting rules were two of the laws open for review.
The leaked internal records show how Teneo was brought in by ExxonMobil, Koch and the other companies to help them get both rules watered down.
Members of the European Parliament vote during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on March 12th, 2025. Photograph: Frederick Florin/AFP via Getty Images
The corporate lobbyists started drawing up a list of influential MEPs who would have an input in how the laws were pared back.
The internal slides laid out a series of meetings that had been arranged with MEPs during a monthly voting session in Strasbourg in May.
Teneo advisers made the trip to the French city, as did the in-house lobbyists of ExxonMobil, Koch Inc, JP morgan, Enterprise mobility, TotalEnergies and Nyrstar. In a meeting afterwards, t
Lobbying Blitz to Water Down EU Environmental Laws
A coalition of multinational corporations devised a strategy to weaken upcoming EU environmental laws, according to internal documents seen by the Irish Times. The plan involved targeted lobbying of MEPs,a potential social media campaign,and pressure on the European Commission.
The initiative, coordinated by the Competitiveness Roundtable, aimed to influence legislation designed to reduce pollution and promote sustainability.lobbyists from firms like Teneo worked to secure support for their agenda, focusing on key figures like Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, with their positions intended to be incorporated into future lobbying efforts.
Commission officials were described as “extremely defensive” of the proposed laws during a recent event. Lobbyists subsequently travelled to Strasbourg in june to engage with MEPs, categorising them into “tier 1 and tier 2” targets. They were instructed to be alert for “unplanned encounters” alongside scheduled meetings.
Following meetings with 18 MEPs and their assistants,the group identified a strategy to “split” centrist and left-leaning MEPs by appealing to national interests ahead of a crucial vote in October. A LinkedIn campaign utilising “dark posts” – content not visible on a company’s profile – was also considered.
The documents reveal a plan to increase lobbying in key EU states including Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Hungary, hoping for a “rightleaning majority” in the parliament, potentially requiring support from far-right parties, to dismantle parts of the legislation. “Friendly MEPs” were to be encouraged to propose amendments, and ensuring the attendance of right-wing MEPs for voting was prioritised.
Pressure was to be applied at a political level to persuade EU Commission officials to accept “meaningful simplification” during negotiations. Companies were also tasked with lobbying their national governments. ExxonMobil was assigned Germany, Hungary, and Romania; Koch Inc, Poland; TotalEnergies, France and copenhagen; and Enterprise car rental, Ireland.
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