American tech giant Amazon is facing growing calls to have its lobbyists stripped of access to the European Parliament while it refuses to discuss the working conditions of its employees in the European Union.
Last week, several Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) wrote to President Roberta Metsola to urge the withdrawal of lobbying badges from the tech giant’s representatives, effectively barring them from the Parliament's corridors.
MEPs are furious over Amazon's continued refusal to engage with the Parliament’s Employment Committee on crucial issues concerning working conditions within its warehouses. It declined an invitation to participate in a hearing on 23 January, reportedly saying "it was not a good day for them."
Romanian MEP and chair of the employment committee Dragoş Pîslaru (Renew Europe) expressed frustration over Amazon’s absence, stating: "I presume that for a company of this size and representation, there might have been some people that could have replaced the one that couldn’t make it today."
On both left and right, MEPs in the committee support the call to ban Amazon lobbyists while it continues to "disrespect" them. German MEP Dennis Radtke (EPP) said he would support any measure taken against the company, adding that the MEPs "shouldn't accept" Amazon's anti-democratic practices.
Dismissive attitude
On Monday, a coalition of over 30 trade unions and civil society groups joined the call in another open letter to Metsola, expressing "deep concerns" over Amazon's "dismissive" attitude toward democratic scrutiny and trade unions.
"Amazon treats our parliaments, our democratic institutions, like its workers: with contempt. We welcome MEPs taking a concrete step to ban Amazon lobbyists from entering Parliament," said UNI Europa Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig, who heads the European trade union federation for 7 million service workers.
Amazon stands accused of undermining the right to strike (added to notoriously poor labour conditions and low pay), monopoly-like abuses on its own online marketplace (investigated and fined numerous times) and its data collection and processing of customers – which have been previously found to breach EU privacy laws.
It is not the first time the company has evaded scrutiny. In December 2023, Amazon cancelled a visit by an MEP delegation to its warehouses in Germany and Poland on short notice. Amazon also refused to testify at another hearing in 2021.
An Amazon parcel sorting centre in Antwerp. Credit: Belga / Jonas Roosens
"Amazon’s disregard for the EU’s democratic institutions should not allow the company to get off the hook," the open letter states, asking Metsola "to implement Rule 123 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament and call for an immediate withdrawal of all lobbying badges of the company."
A spokesperson for President Metsola declined to comment but told The Brussels Times that the issue was briefly raised in the Conference of Presidents last week. It was agreed that they would discuss it at their next meeting.
'Like robots'
Amazon is a frequent visitor to the EP. In January alone, it had nine meetings with MEPs, including a meeting just a day after the hearing. These individual meetings are likely to be where behind-the-scenes lobbying occurs.
The American multinational company is the 14th biggest EU lobby spender for a single company. It spent €2,75 million lobbying the EU institutions in 2022 alone.
Since 2013, Amazon has allocated a staggering €18.8 million towards lobbying European institutions, showing the company's commitment to influencing policy decisions. Additionally, it currently employs fourteen lobbyists accredited by the European Parliament.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Credit: Nicolas Maeterlinck / Belga
There is also an ongoing EU investigation into irregularities surrounding Amazon's lobby registration – where allegations include undisclosed affiliations with various think tanks and a potentially underestimated lobbying budget.
"While Amazon invests massively in lobbying in Europe, the company shows an utter disregard for democratic scrutiny of its exploitative business model," said Bram Vranken, Corporate Europe Observatory researcher and campaigner. "We should not allow the company to get off the hook and immediately withdraw all of its lobbying badges."
At the hearing Amazon chose not to attend on 23 January, trade union representatives from Germany and Poland gave an account of the working conditions at Amazon.
"We are considered robots," said Agata Wypior (Solidarność) during the meeting, referencing the high level of worker surveillance. "The productivity targets are simply not possible on a physical level. We asked for a change to this."
In response to the letter, Amazon spokesperson Sarah Tapp said on Tuesday: "We welcome opportunities for constructive dialogue on issues facing the logistics industry and remain committed to engaging with the Committee."
Tapp added that members of the European Parliament have visited fulfilment centres across the EU in the past, and reiterated their offer to host Committee members at an Amazon facility in the near future.
