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Lobbying at the EU

Who lobbies the European Union?

363 organisations with their headquarters in Poland are in the European transparency register. They try to influence European laws and decisions. Since December 2024 they have had 237 meetings with the European Commission between them.

What is lobbying? (click to read)
  • Lobbying means trying to influence the decisions of politicians and civil servants: through conversations, studies, letters or events. This is allowed and is done by companies, but also by trade unions, environmental organisations and cities.
  • Anyone who wants to meet the European Commission or the European Parliament must be in the transparency register and state how much money and how many people are spent on it.
  • The amounts are reported by the organisations themselves, in ranges (e.g. "between 1 and 1.25 million euros"). Nobody checks them all.
  • A European federation with its headquarters in Brussels often represents companies from all over Europe. That is why there are so many organisations in Belgium.
  • We do not show self-employed individuals (people).

Organisations

363

Reported lobbying costs per year

€ 21.2 million – € 31.1 million

Of 225 companies, federations and trade unions that report this.

Access badges for the European Parliament

67

Lobbyists who can walk in freely.

Who are they?

  • Companies 103
  • NGOs and citizens’ organisations 98
  • Trade and professional federations 76
  • Think tanks and research institutions 25
  • Trade unions and professional associations 17
  • Universities and colleges 15
  • Other organisations and public institutions 15
  • Consultancies 7
  • Law firms 5
  • Associations of public authorities (e.g. cities and regions) 2

Biggest lobbying budgets

What they report themselves for lobbying work at the EU, per year.

  1. ORLEN S.A. Companies € 2.3 million – € 2.5 million
  2. Związek Pracodawców Business & Science Poland Trade and professional federations € 900,000 – € 1 million
  3. Politechnika Rzeszowska im. Ignacego Lukasiewicza Universities and colleges € 900,000 – € 1 million
  4. IZBA GOSPODARKI ELEKTRONICZNEJ Trade and professional federations € 900,000 – € 1 million
  5. ITTI Sp. z o.o. Companies € 900,000 – € 1 million
  6. Polski Związek Przemysłu Kosmetycznego Trade and professional federations € 700,000 – € 800,000
  7. Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza Elektroniki i Telekomunikacji Trade and professional federations € 600,000 – € 700,000
  8. Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego Other organisations and public institutions € 500,000 – € 600,000
  9. Polish Electricity Association Trade and professional federations € 500,000 – € 600,000
  10. Parulski&Wspólnicy Szymon Parulski Wojciech Krok Doradcy Podatkowi s.c. Law firms € 500,000 – € 600,000

Most meetings with the European Commission

With commissioners, their private offices or directors-general, since December 2024.

  1. ORLEN S.A. Companies 18 meetings
  2. Allegro sp. z o.o. Companies 16 meetings
  3. Związek Banków Polskich Trade and professional federations 11 meetings
  4. Związek Pracodawców Business & Science Poland Trade and professional federations 11 meetings
  5. KGHM Polska Miedź Spółka Akcyjna Companies 9 meetings
  6. Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego Other organisations and public institutions 9 meetings
  7. PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA Companies 8 meetings
  8. CloudFerro Companies 8 meetings
  9. Federacja Przedsiębiorców Polskich Trade and professional federations 7 meetings
  10. Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa S.A. Companies 7 meetings

Source: EU transparency register and meetings of the European Commission with interest representatives (European Commission, reuse allowed with credit to the source). Amounts as reported by the organisations themselves.