As a member of the European Parliament I am constantly approached by people who want to talk about how the legislation we are working on will affect their interests. They are both lobbyists working for specific companies, but also organisations, experts, researchers, specialists and interested citizens.
My staff and I regularly meet with lobbyists from both human rights organisations and businesses, and the vast majority are strongly committed to their varying goals. The meetings take place in Brussels, Sweden and the rest of Europe and they range from participation in conferences, seminars, or individual discussions and deliberations.
It is a positive indication that people are interested in the political process and the work of the European Parliament. Their contribution is often important, but obviously it is important to be aware of the fact that most people approaching an MEP with information have an interest in defending their business or to emphasise a particular point of view.
It is crucial that we as politically elected representatives are aware of how the legislation we are forming may affect the society we live in. As politicians we are first and foremost representing the public interest and not private interests and in the end it is always our responsibility to test and evaluate the arguments and to weigh conflicting positions against each other.
For me it is important to meet and speak with people from different groups representing different interests, to get a breadth of views and insights. This facilitates and helps me to take reasonable decisions in complex matters.
It is fundamental for me to be open to the citizens and voters with whom I meet. I do not keep an official register of me and my staff’s meetings with interest organisations, but if you are interested in knowing more about which associations or stakeholders I have met on a particular matter, you are welcome to contact my office.
The EU institutions also have a transparency register in which it is possible to search for information about the organisations and companies that are lobbying in Brussels. Please find more information about the register here.
If you want to book a meeting with me, or my policy advisors, please send us an e-mail.
