“Access should also be denied to all those seeking to lobby MEPs on behalf of Monsanto”

Last month the European Parliament adopted the decision to remove the access badges of Monsanto lobbyists following the company’s refusal to attend the public hearing, “The Monsanto papers and glyphosate”, organised by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI).

Now over 20 NGOs have written to MEPs demanding that lobbyists from other organisations representing Monsanto’s interests also be banned from the Parliament. The organisations include the lobby firm Hume Brophy, the European Crop Protection Association, and Europabio.

The letter from the NGOs says, “To give real effect to the decision to restrict Monsanto’s access to the European Parliament, access should also be denied to all those seeking to lobby MEPs on behalf of Monsanto. In practice that would mean that MEPs refuse to meet with the above listed organizations if they seek to represent Monsanto or its interests.”

The NGOs urge MEPs to publicly support a comprehensive and effective application of the ban on Monsanto lobbyists, which they say should encompass:
* refusal of meetings with organisations that seek to influence decision making processes on behalf of Monsanto
* exclusion of Monsanto representatives into the European Parliament building as guests
* refusal to attend lobby meetings with Monsanto off the premises of the European Parliament
* reporting and/or making public any attempts by Monsanto lobbyists, or third parties acting on behalf of Monsanto, to lobby MEPs following the ban.