Over 20 European trade unions and civil society on Thursday called for a "comprehensive, transparent, and effective ban on Amazon lobbying in the European Parliament" after exposing the true extent of the company's lobbying practices.
Following the European Parliament’s decision to withdraw Amazon’s lobbying badges on 27 February, a collective of trade union and civil society organisations are calling for extending the ban on Amazon’s 14 accredited lobbyists to "organisations that seek to influence decision-making processes on behalf of Amazon."
After Amazon's continued refusal to engage with the European Parliament’s Employment Committee on crucial issues concerning working conditions within its warehouses, including declining an invitation to participate in a hearing on 23 January this year, the Parliament secretariat took the drastic measure of revoking the access of Amazon lobbyists to its buildings.
After a rare victory against one of the world's most powerful companies, over 20 trade unions and civil society organisations, including UNI Europa, Corporate Europe Observatory, LobbyControl and SOMO, are now putting Amazon's lobbying practices into the spotlight and calling for the ban to be extended.
7th largest lobbyer
"Amazon’s voice extends far further than just its accredited lobbyists," the letter states. "The transparency register shows that, in 2023 alone, Amazon spent between €2,090,000-€3.099.982 on 20 consultancies that lobby on behalf of the company."
Since the Parliament’s decision and additional public scrutiny, Amazon has updated its registration in the EU Transparency Register. It now reports spending at least €4.5 million (up from €2.75 million), making it the 7th largest spender for a single company.
On this issue, Corporate Europe Observatory, Lobbycontrol and SOMO had previously filed a complaint with the Secretariat of the EU Transparency Register earlier this year on suspicions that Amazon was not disclosing the true extent of its lobbying activity.
Belgian delivery centre of e-commerce firm Amazon in Antwerp, 03 November 2022. Credit: Belga / Jonas Roosens
When approached for a comment about the updated figures, an Amazon spokesperson said that it "engages on issues that are important" to its customers, sellers, and the businesses on their platform.
"We work with organisations like trade associations and think tanks, and communicate with officials at the European Institutions," an Amazon spokesperson told The Brussels Times. "We update our entry in the EU Transparency Register in line with the guidelines,"
'Misleading information'
Corporate Europe Observatory researcher and campaigner, Bram Vranken, argues that Amazon should not be allowed to "buy its way back" into the Parliament.
"Amazon has clearly been under-reporting its lobbying budget for years," Vranken told The Brussels Times. "This kind of wrong and misleading information obstructs proper public scrutiny of the company's lobbying in the EU and once again shows Amazon's contempt for our democratic institutions."
Another campaigner from LobbyControl, Max Bank, added: "A strict and comprehensive lobby ban for Amazon is the right signal to deter monopoly power from undermining democratic institutions."
The letter outlines how the current ban on Amazon lobbyists in Parliament should only be lifted under certain conditions.
Firstly, if Amazon attends a hearing on working conditions in its warehouses, like the one it missed on 23 January; and secondly, if it accepts a visit from the Employment Committee to its warehouses in Poland and Germany, also accompanied by workers’ representatives, once Committee missions are allowed again after the European Elections.
"The company’s track record, marred by allegations of exploitative labour practices, antitrust violations, tax dodging and environmental negligence, has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups worldwide," the signatories stressed.
