Event - Improving transparency in tobacco lobbying

Event

27Apr2016

13:30 - 15:30

Host: European Ombudsman

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Invitation

Event organised by the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly

Wednesday, 27 April 2016, 13.30 - 15.30

Networking Buffet from 12.00

Résidence Palace, 155, rue de la Loi C, 1040 Brussels, Polak Room

The European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, is dedicated to further improving the standards of transparency and ethical decision-making in the EU institutions. A major part of her work touches on lobbying; how it is carried out and who it targets.

Within the lobbying world, tobacco products occupy a special place. As consumer products, they alone have an international treaty dedicated to curbing their effects on public health (UN FCTC).

The Ombudsman recently found that the European Commission's approach to publicising meetings with tobacco lobbyists is, with the exception of DG Health, inadequate.

Is this good enough for an EU institution whose role it is to initiate EU legislation? What are the potential public health benefits of transparent tobacco lobbying? Are policy-makers sufficiently aware of the tactics used by the tobacco industry to further its interests? How would lobbying transparency increase public trust in the EU institutions?