In an open letter published by the Corporate Europe Observatory last month, over 50 NGOs from more than a dozen EU countries called upon EU Commission President Barroso 'to act immediately to curb the excessive influence of corporate lobby groups over EU policymaking'.

Over fifteen thousand full-time lobbyists now operate in Brussels, a large majority representing business interests. Lobby groups succeed all too frequently in postponing, weakening or blocking sorely needed progress in EU social, environmental and consumer protections.