Lecture | Seminar
Political lobbying in Brussels
- Lise Witteman, Investigative journalist
- Date
- Friday 12 November 2021
- Time
- Series
- EU Seminar
- Location
- Lipsius 003 and Online
There are more than 30 000 lobbyists in Brussels representing different kinds of industries and interests. What exactly do they do? To what extent can they influence the way EU policies are developed? In what ways have their activities been affected by recent efforts to instate transparency mechanisms at the level of EU institutions? Are the existing mechanisms of democratic accountability enough to counter the influence of these lobbies?
Lise Witteman is an investigative journalist who spent many years reporting on the affairs of the Dutch government for De Telegraaf, and in 2018 moved to Brussels where she helped to set up the EU-desk for the Dutch investigative platform Follow the Money. Follow the Money Bureau Brussel specializes in following the paper trails of the European decision-making processes, from the interests of (national) politicians and their influence on EU policy, to the way the money of EU citizens is being spent. Lise will talk about her research into the activities of lobbies in the EU, their impact on the EU policies, and about what it is like to be an investigative journalist in Brussels.
You can read more about Lise’s work in her articles on Follow the Money platform and in her latest book, ‘Sluiproute Brussel – De Europese lobby voor de bv Nederland’ (2021).