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Lobbying at the EU

Who lobbies the European Union?

329 organisations with their headquarters in Denmark are in the European transparency register. They try to influence European laws and decisions. Since December 2024 they have had 743 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

329

Reported lobbying costs per year

€ 30.3 million – € 42 million

Of 229 companies, federations and trade unions that report this.

Access badges for the European Parliament

130

Lobbyists who can walk in freely.

Who are they?

  • Companies 127
  • NGOs and citizens’ organisations 72
  • Trade and professional federations 55
  • Other organisations and public institutions 18
  • Trade unions and professional associations 17
  • Consultancies 13
  • Think tanks and research institutions 12
  • Universities and colleges 9
  • Associations of public authorities (e.g. cities and regions) 4
  • Law firms 2

Biggest lobbying budgets

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

  1. Confederation of Danish Industry Trade and professional federations € 2.3 million – € 2.5 million
  2. Novo Nordisk A/S Companies € 2 million – € 2.3 million
  3. Finance Denmark Trade and professional federations € 1.8 million – € 2 million
  4. Kvantify ApS Companies € 1.5 million – € 1.8 million
  5. The LEGO Group Companies € 900,000 – € 1 million
  6. Friluftsrådet NGOs and citizens’ organisations € 900,000 – € 1 million
  7. FSR - danske revisorer Trade and professional federations € 900,000 – € 1 million
  8. DFDS A/S Companies € 900,000 – € 1 million
  9. GreenRoc Strategic Materials Plc Companies € 800,000 – € 900,000
  10. Rettighedsalliancen/Danish Rights Alliance NGOs and citizens’ organisations € 800,000 – € 900,000

Most meetings with the European Commission

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

  1. A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S Companies 44 meetings
  2. Rasmussen Global Consultancies 36 meetings
  3. Novo Nordisk Foundation NGOs and citizens’ organisations 36 meetings
  4. Confederation of Danish Industry Trade and professional federations 35 meetings
  5. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S Companies 33 meetings
  6. Ørsted A/S Companies 25 meetings
  7. ROCKWOOL A/S Companies 21 meetings
  8. Danfoss A/S Companies 20 meetings
  9. Novo Nordisk A/S Companies 19 meetings
  10. TOPSOE A/S Companies 19 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.