Brussels, 17/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - In a lengthy press release on Wednesday 16 March, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), which monitors the activities of lobbyists towards the European institutions, claims that a European Commission official with responsibility for the motor car industry worked closely and secretly with the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), allowing the latter more effectively to influence negotiations on RDE testing of emissions under real driving conditions.
CEO, which campaigns for greater transparency in the operations of lobby groups, obtained an ACEA working document dated February 2015 setting out its detailed strategy for influencing the Commission's draft proposal on putting in place emissions testing under real driving conditions. CEO claims that this document proves that the ACEA strategy derives directly from a secret meeting between a European Commission official and the ACEA.
That meeting took place on Sunday 11 January 2015 and involved ACEA Emissions and Fuels Director Paul Greening and Nikolaus Steininger, policy officer at the European Commission's Automotive Industry Unit within the Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROWTH). According to the ACEA document, Steininger told ACEA that, in his view, there was no need for compromise and that, therefore, ACEA did not need to weaken its negotiating position to get what it wanted from the new RDE tests.
Steininger did not stop there and went on to outline where the Commission was likely to adjust its position towards that of ACEA and its members. He also revealed the positions of some member states, such as that of Spain, which would back the ACEA stance. CEO says that Spain had been one of the staunchest supporters of the industry among the member states, the automobile sector being a major jobs provider in the country.
Steiniger, indeed, revealed information a number of technical issues, such as the temperature of the testing, in the Commission's proposal. ACEA was thus able to build the backbone of its strategy based on the information revealed by the official.
CEO says that this document, “As well as providing a rare glimpse into the lobbying strategies of the car industry, it also makes a mockery of the Commission's claim that there is no conflict of interest when closely involving car manufacturers in crafting regulations they will then have to adhere to”. The Commission says that it had not been informed of this meeting and argues that any information exchanged in meetings between the Commission and the car industry is “merely technical and not political”. For CEO, the document proves that the “technical neutrality” of these meetings is no more than a “myth”. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)