EU keeps tobacco lobbying in the shadows

Lobbying by big tobacco interests will continue to take place in the shadows the European Commission has said, in defiance of recommendations by the EU’s ombudsman.

The Commission, despite promising transparency, has said it will not make public all its officials’ meetings with the tobacco industry and did not regard meetings with the industry’s lawyers as lobbying.

The ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, said it is in breach of the UN convention and guilty of maladministration, but the Brussels-based body that draws up EU laws says they are just voluntary guidelines.