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Lobbying at the EU

Who lobbies the European Union?

1,131 organisations with their headquarters in Spain are in the European transparency register. They try to influence European laws and decisions. Since December 2024 they have had 1,131 meetings with the European Commission between them.

What is lobbying? (click to read)
  • Lobbying means trying to influence the decisions of politicians and civil servants: through conversations, studies, letters or events. This is allowed and is done by companies, but also by trade unions, environmental organisations and cities.
  • Anyone who wants to meet the European Commission or the European Parliament must be in the transparency register and state how much money and how many people are spent on it.
  • The amounts are reported by the organisations themselves, in ranges (e.g. "between 1 and 1.25 million euros"). Nobody checks them all.
  • A European federation with its headquarters in Brussels often represents companies from all over Europe. That is why there are so many organisations in Belgium.
  • We do not show self-employed individuals (people).

Organisations

1,131

Reported lobbying costs per year

€ 80.5 million – € 118.3 million

Of 798 companies, federations and trade unions that report this.

Access badges for the European Parliament

227

Lobbyists who can walk in freely.

Who are they?

  • Companies 333
  • NGOs and citizens’ organisations 276
  • Trade and professional federations 232
  • Other organisations and public institutions 68
  • Trade unions and professional associations 62
  • Consultancies 56
  • Think tanks and research institutions 50
  • Universities and colleges 32
  • Associations of public authorities (e.g. cities and regions) 13
  • Law firms 8
  • Churches and religious or philosophical communities 1

Biggest lobbying budgets

What they report themselves for lobbying work at the EU, per year.

  1. GESTLABOR HOSTELERÍA SL Universities and colleges € 4.5 million – € 5 million
  2. Telefonica, S.A. Companies € 2 million – € 2.3 million
  3. Patentes Talgo Companies € 1 million – € 1.3 million
  4. Abertis Autopistas España, S.A. Companies € 1 million – € 1.3 million
  5. ASOCIACIÓN PARA EL FOMENTO DE LA SEGURIDAD DE LA INFORMACIÓN, ISMS FORUM NGOs and citizens’ organisations € 1 million – € 1.3 million
  6. AMADEUS IT GROUP S.A. Companies € 900,000 – € 1 million
  7. CEOE - Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales Trade and professional federations € 900,000 – € 1 million
  8. Ecologistas en Accion NGOs and citizens’ organisations € 900,000 – € 1 million
  9. PROVACUNO Other organisations and public institutions € 900,000 – € 1 million
  10. Revertia Consultancies € 900,000 – € 1 million

Most meetings with the European Commission

With commissioners, their private offices or directors-general, since December 2024.

  1. Telefonica, S.A. Companies 65 meetings
  2. Banco Santander, S.A. Companies 62 meetings
  3. FUNDACION OCEANA NGOs and citizens’ organisations 30 meetings
  4. IBERDROLA Companies 28 meetings
  5. ACCIONA, S.A. Companies 27 meetings
  6. Repsol, S.A. Companies 27 meetings
  7. Climate Strategy Consultancies 25 meetings
  8. Moeve Companies 22 meetings
  9. IDOM Consulting, Engineering, Architecture, S.A.U. Companies 22 meetings
  10. AMADEUS IT GROUP S.A. Companies 22 meetings

Source: EU transparency register and meetings of the European Commission with interest representatives (European Commission, reuse allowed with credit to the source). Amounts as reported by the organisations themselves.