From potato chips to silicon chips: Lobbies cover all in Brussels

Businesses are set to spend at least €381.7 million lobbying European Union institutions this year, according to Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl. — AFP pic

First Published: Saturday, 12 Sep 2026 7:00 AM MYT

BRUSSELS, Sept 12 — If there is an industry for it, there will be a lobby group representing its interests in Brussels, home to the European Union’s institutions.

The biggest spenders are the digital, banking and energy sectors, according to civil society groups.

Businesses were set this year to pour a minimum of €381.7 million (approximately RM1.8 billion) into lobbying EU institutions, up 7.8 per cent compared to 2025, said a June report by two campaign groups, Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl.

Big Tech, big spending

Digital titans including Amazon, Apple and Meta spent €73 million on EU-focused lobbying annually, the same report said.

That is not surprising since the EU has strengthened its legal armoury against Big Tech in the past few years, with plans for more rules on the way.

Facebook parent Meta tops the list with around €10 million spent annually. Its Brussels lobbying operation involves 44 people, working either full-time or part-time.

The digital industry including Big Tech ploughed significant time and effort into lobbying against stricter rules on artificial intelligence in Europe.

It also benefits from plenty of political support from US President Donald Trump’s administration, which has railed against the EU’s tech laws.

But that has not stopped the bloc from slapping fines on major players.

Banking, energy and chemicals

Behind tech is the finance sector, spending €66.7 million annually, according to Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), which represents major banks, is one of the most influential lobbying groups in Brussels.

The association spends around €6 million annually, and is no doubt preparing for next year’s battle over banking regulations.

The European Commission is set to propose an easing of rules, and banks want to secure as much flexibility as possible under the future changes.

The energy and chemical sectors also devote substantial sums to lobbying in Brussels, respectively spending €52 million and €46.5 million annually, the two campaign groups’ report said.

A highly influential trade association is the European Chemical Industry Council, which reports spending €12.3 million a year to defend the sector’s interests.

It employs 169 people in total, including more than 45 full-time lobbyists.

Spuds, snacks and horses

A brief search of the EU’s Transparency Register, to which organisations must sign up, throws up a wild mix of groups representing various interests.

Among thousands of associations featured, for example, the European Potato Trade Association, Detergents Europe and the European Snacks Association.

There is even the European Horse Network, whose meetings with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen — a well-known equine enthusiast — were criticised by Corporate Europe Observatory for violating the commission’s code of conduct. — AFP