Skip to content

Independent citizens’ platform · not an official website of the European Union or of any government body

OD OpenDemocratie
Estonia Search Notifications

Lobbying at the EU

Who lobbies the European Union?

107 organisations with their headquarters in Estonia are in the European transparency register. They try to influence European laws and decisions. Since December 2024 they have had 85 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

107

Reported lobbying costs per year

€ 6 million – € 8.8 million

Of 73 companies, federations and trade unions that report this.

Access badges for the European Parliament

7

Lobbyists who can walk in freely.

Who are they?

  • Companies 47
  • NGOs and citizens’ organisations 32
  • Trade and professional federations 11
  • Trade unions and professional associations 5
  • Universities and colleges 4
  • Think tanks and research institutions 3
  • Consultancies 3
  • Other organisations and public institutions 2

Biggest lobbying budgets

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

  1. Bolt Companies € 800,000 – € 900,000
  2. Utilitas OÜ Companies € 700,000 – € 800,000
  3. Digilogistika Keskus OÜ Consultancies € 500,000 – € 600,000
  4. äio tech OÜ Companies € 400,000 – € 500,000
  5. Eesti Energia Aktsiaselts Companies € 400,000 – € 500,000
  6. Sensus Septima Companies € 400,000 – € 500,000
  7. Viru Keemia Grupp AS Companies € 400,000 – € 500,000
  8. Graanul Invest AS Companies € 400,000 – € 500,000
  9. European Music Managers Alliance MTÜ Trade and professional federations € 200,000 – € 300,000
  10. Eesti Infotehnoloogia ja Telekommunikatsiooni Liit NGOs and citizens’ organisations € 200,000 – € 300,000

Most meetings with the European Commission

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

  1. Bolt Companies 33 meetings
  2. Frankenburg Technologies OÜ Companies 6 meetings
  3. Ragn Sells AS Companies 4 meetings
  4. EESTI TÖÖANDJATE KESKLIIT MTÜ Trade and professional federations 4 meetings
  5. Mifundo Companies 4 meetings
  6. E-riigi Akadeemia NGOs and citizens’ organisations 3 meetings
  7. Estonian Fishermen's Association NGOs and citizens’ organisations 3 meetings
  8. Eesti Kaubandus-Tööstuskoda Trade and professional federations 3 meetings
  9. Estonian Forest and Wood Industries Association Trade and professional federations 3 meetings
  10. Defsecintel Solutions Companies 3 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.