Under the influence: exposing undue corporate influence over policy-making at the WTO

This report highlights many examples of privileged corporate access to, and excessive influence over, the WTO policy-making process. It argues that governments must take urgent action to curb corporate influence in the WTO and put the rights of poor people before the profits of multinationals in the current round of global trade talks.

Some points highlighted by the report include:

• more than 70% of Brussels lobbyists represent business interests, while only 10% advocate for environmental, human rights, public health and development interests
• evidence confirms that the European Services Forum (ESF) – a corporate lobby group representing services multinationals such as British Telecom, Lloyds, and Suez, enjoys privileged access to senior policy-makers in EU Commission’s trade department
• a great number of official external advisors to the US’s trade department – most of which are represent business lobby groups and corporations including Burger King, Halliburton and Monsanto. have access to confidential WTO negotiating documents and attend meetings with US trade negotiators
• senior officials from Pfizer, the world’s largest drug company, negotiated directly with the director-general of the WTO and officials from WTO member states in 2003 to block a proposal from developing countries that would allow them to import cheaper copies of patented drugs during public health emergencies, including the HIV and AIDS pandemic
• Yum! Brands, a group of multinational fast food chains including KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, has helped set up new global lobbying networks to influence the WTO’s agriculture talks, pushing governments to prise open agricultural markets through the WTO, including in developing countries
• a large number of hardline pro-business think-tanks have grown rapidly in the EU recently; and analysts believe donations funnelled from corporate backers are a major factor behind their expansion.

• the WTO secretariat and WTO member countries must take action to include poor people’s groups in the trade policymaking process, as well as address the WTO’s anti-democratic and non-transparent negotiating procedures
• the EU must introduce new laws to increase transparency and accountability in lobbying, as well as put an end to cases of privileged access for corporate lobbyists
• the US must ensure broader representation of public interest groups on its Trade Advisory Committees, and require lobbyists to file comprehensive reports into a publicly available internet database
• corporations should disclose their lobbying positions on key public policy issues, as well as membership and funding of trade associations, think-tanks and campaigns to influence public policy.