Transparency MEP-industry forums

In Front of a Statoil petrol station (Nobelvägan near corner Lönngatan) the traffic was stopped and waiters and waitresses serving organic food talked to the drivers. They had to choose between fuelling their car, or access to food for themselves and other people. There was understanding and sympathy for the alternative, although nobody decided to leave the car at the spot. Luckily the police was occupied by their preparations for the big ESF demonstration. It took them 30 minutes to find out about the action. Just when the activists decided to move on to the next stop, three vans arrived.

The European Parliament approved last week the final deal on the European Citizens Initiative (ECI), which obliges the European Commission to consider proposals supported by the signatures of one million Europeans. The final deal is a compromise between the Commission and Council, who insisted on administrative hurdles that would have made it very difficult to collect the signatures needed, and MEPs who wanted fewer obstacles. But how much of a boost is this new instrument for democracy and citizens’ power?

On 10 December, the annual EU-India summit is held in Brussels where political leaders hope to agree on the broad shape of an EU-India free trade agreement and give the negotiations a final push towards conclusion. A parallel big business summit has been organised alongside, and will provide crucial support – while more and more small businesses and MEPs oppose the deal. At first glance, the business summit looks like it has been organised by industry lobby groups from the EU and India. But internal EU Commission reports obtained through access to information requests show that the EU administration is actively involved in preparations for the event, including the messaging and follow-up. It is lobbying hard to make the forum a key strategic meeting for consensus building and co-operation between Europe and India's corporate elites. And the Commission has provided millions of Euros from its development fund to facilitate this process.

Corporate Europe Observatory will join the Agrofools Action Group at a petrol station in Malmo to highlight the issue of agrofuels - curretnyl being discussed at the European Social Forum.

The European push for agrofuels will have many social and environmental implications, including rising food prices, jeopardising people's food sovereignty and access to food.

Swedish car drivers will be invited to choose from a menu: fueling their car with agrofuel, or having access to food for themselves and other people. About 100 people will participate in the action.