Best Corporate Europe Observatory Podcasts (2024)

1
Warfare or welfare: the EU's choice 18:10

22h ago18:10

18:10

As it prepares to usher in a new era of austerity, the EU is rife with declarations of increased militarisation, coupled with measures to significantly increase European arms spending and strengthen the Union's military capabilities. In this episode, Laëtitia Sédou of ENAAT looks at the impact of skyrocketing military spending, the powerful influen…

1
Teaser to season 2 of EU Watchdog Radio 1:00

17d ago1:00

1:00

Hi, and welcome to the new season of EU Watchdog Radio, a podcast by Counter Balance and Corporate Europe Observatory. We changed the podcast a bit! Stay tuned for the second season of EU Watchdog Radio!

1
Episode 52: The Alliance Attacking Freedom 15:07

22d ago15:07

15:07

During the current and almost over EU legislature, the rise of far-right forces has come hand in hand with the stigmatisation, harassment, and violence against women and LGBTQI+ people.In this episode, Corporate Europe Observatory researcher and campaigner Kenneth Haar unveils the link between ultraconservative US foundations and right-wing forces …

1
Episode 51: We won, EU withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty! 26:12

2M ago26:12

26:12

In a milestone win for civil society, the EU will withdraw from the climate-wrecking Energy Charter Treaty (or ECT). The ECT was designed in the 1990s to favour industry’s interests, and was a powerful weapon to obstruct the kind of phaseout of fossil fuels needed to avoid catastrophic climate change. It should never have existed in the first place…

1
Episode 50: No gala for the gas lobby 18:58

2M ago18:58

18:58

For the first time in seventeen years, the European Gas Conference was cancelled—or, at least, postponed. However, this did not stop CEO from travelling all the way to Vienna to meet with climate activists and campaigners at the People’s Summit, the counter-summit of the Gas Conference.This episode was recorded live in the capital city of Austria. …

1
Episode 49: Time to ban Amazon! 9:40

5M ago9:40

9:40

Amazon is a frequent visitor to the EU Parliament. In January alone, it had nine meetings with MEPs. But when it refused to appear before the Employment Committee on a hearing on crucial issues concerning working conditions within its warehouses, it made MEPs from all party groups extremelly angry, and rightly so. On 5 February, MEPs on the Europea…

1
Episode 48: Decoding COP28 23:40

6M ago23:40

23:40

Another year, another COP. As the UN climate talks concluded in Dubai, for the first time ever a “transition away from fossil fuels” has been mentioned in the final text, but calling for a win would be a clear overstatement. The text has the oily fingerprints of the fossil fuel lobby all over it. The reality is COP28 is more likely to facilitate a …

1
Episode 47: Qatargate - one year later, what changed? 21:17

7M ago21:17

21:17

It's one year since the Qatargate corruption scandal exploded across the EU institutions and a good time to review if and how things have changed in the Brussels Bubble. In this episode, Joana Louçã talks to Corporate Europe Observatory's researchers Olivier Hoedeman and Vicky Cann.WHO WE AREThis podcast is produced by CEO and Counter Balance. Both…

1
Episode 46: An EIB for the people 33:05

9M ago33:05

33:05

As the European Commission’s current mandate draws to a close, some Commissioner’s are contemplating their next moves. One such politician is current Vice President Margrethe Vestager, who is campaigning to become the next president of the European Investment Bank (EIB). She is one of five potential candidates who will take over from current EIB pr…

1
Episode 45: No political will to curb food speculation 39:50

11M ago39:50

39:50

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio Hans van Scharen talks to UN rapporteur on the right to Food Michael Fakhri and Political scientist Yiorgos Vassalos. They discuss rising food prices and hunger, the link with financial markets and the lack of political will to curb the influence of financial speculation with food commodities, which contribu…

1
Episode 44: 30 years of EU Single Market 21:28

1y ago21:28

21:28

In this new episode of the podcast EU Watchdog Radio, Joana Louçã talks to economist and trade unionist Frank Ey, and to Olivier Hoedeman and Moritz Neujeffski, co-authors of CEO's latest report: 30 Years of EU Single Market: Time to remove the obstacles to social-ecological transformation.This year marks the 30th anniversary of the creation of EU'…

1
Episode 43: Hunger is a political failure 35:09

1y ago35:09

35:09

This is the 43d episode of EU Watchdog Radio where we talk all things food security, food systems and the (often political) violence that is omni-present around the world when it comes to one of our basic needs: food. It ‘s an important year for the global food security debate and the current heated EU political debate on this topic is not looking …

1
Episode 42: Qatargate - The tyrant lobby and why transparency matters 30:13

1+ y ago30:13

30:13

Corporate Europe Observatory's researcher Kat Ainger, Olivier Hoedeman and Hans van Scharen talk about the corruption scandal and its’ consequences.This is the 42nd episode of EU Watchdog Radio where we talk all things Qatargate. What the EPP is plotting against civil society, what the problems are with the current EU transparency register and what…

1
Episode 41: Welcome to LobbyLeaks.eu! 12:50

1+ y ago12:50

12:50

In our brand new episode of EU Watchdog Radio, we talk to MEP Paul Tang and to CEO’s Bram Vranken about the new website LobbyLeaks.eu.Welcome to the 41st episode of EU Watchdog Radio where we talk with Dutch MEP Paul Tang and to CEO’s Big Tech researcher Bram Vranken on the website LobbyLeaks.eu.LobbyLeaks.eu has just been launched by CEO and Lobby…

1
Episode 40: EU Global Gateway - development or profit? 27:27

1+ y ago27:27

27:27

The EU Global Gateway has been pitched as the EU’s response to the economic, climate and energy crises engulfing the planet. Yet over a year after the European Commission launched the Gateway, it is still shrouded in secrecy. It is unclear if any new money is actually being made available for international development through the Gateway, or whethe…

1
Episode 39: COP27 - just Kick Big Polluters Out 24:51

1+ y ago24:51

24:51

By EU Watchdog Radio

1
Episode 38: Toxic Lobby vs Green Deal 24:08

1+ y ago24:08

24:08

By EU Watchdog Radio

1
Episode 37: EU Watchdog Radio - Launch of Lobbyfacts 29:29

1+ y ago29:29

29:29

podcast 37 on Launch of Lobbyfacts with Lucy and Vicky CannBy EU Watchdog Radio

1
Episode 36: CEO Anniversary - 25 years of fighting corporate power 48:03

2y ago48:03

48:03

Welcome to a new summer episode of EU Watchdog Radio. In this episode we will very exceptionally…talk about ourselves, about CEO as a lobby watchdog and dive into how it all started 25 years ago.This year CEO celebrates it’s 25th anniversary albeit in a rather modest way, since at the start of this year the pandemic was still raging, and soon after…

1
Episode 35: COVID treatment - People's health vs private profits 23:39

2y ago23:39

23:39

In this episode of EU Watchdog Radio, we talk with Olivier Hoedeman, campaigner and researcher at CEO, and Bruno Maia, a doctor and activist.We discuss with Olivier how the EU approached the negotiations with the pharmaceutical companies, what we can get from the documents CEO requested access to, and what was the TRIPS waiver agreed with the World…

1
Episode 34: Ukraine War: Can EU public finance help the rebuild? 35:46

2y ago35:46

35:46

In the latest episode of EU Watchdog Radio, we discuss how EU public finance institutions like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) should approach the rebuilding of Ukraine after the war comes to an end.Russia’s hostile invasion of Ukraine sent shockwaves across Europe and beyond. The war has forced over 6.8 million people t…

1
Episode 33: 1972 - 2022 Is the EU losing historic momentum? 49:31

2y ago49:31

49:31

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio we discuss some fascinating historical events that helps to understand why the European Union is functions the way it does, and why we have not made enough progress to tackle climate change, despite al the scientific knowledge we have accumulated since at least 1972. This episode is published on the 9th of M…

1
Episode 32: Hooked on Gas - EU & the Ukraine War 26:21

2y ago26:21

26:21

In this episode of EU Watchdog Radio, we talk about the EU’s dependency on gas, what energy poverty is and in what way it is linked to the Ukraine war. We also discuss the energy alternatives the EU is considering, and what really needs to happen.Europe is facing a crisis of the cost of living and the invasion of Ukraine has exposed its dependency …

1
Episode 31: Ukraine war, food crisis and a toxic lobby 47:47

2+ y ago47:47

47:47

In the latest episode of EU Watchdog Radio, we discuss the linkages between the Ukraine war , the food crisis and subsequent ‘the policy fall-out’. Agrobusiness lobbies and their political allies abuse the crisis to derail and delay the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy.A toxic lobby amplified by conservative politicians was very quick to start, calling f…

1
Episode 30: Europe’s secret €25 billion stash 25:16

2+ y ago25:16

25:16

In the latest episode of EU Watchdog Radio, we discuss the European Guarantee Fund (EGF), a secretive €25 billion fund created by the European Investment Bank (EIB), ostensibly to help European businesses in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.The fund aims to use the €25 billion invested by the EIB to inject €200 billion into the European economy. Y…

1
Episode 29: Macron's EU vs Transparency & Democracy 34:50

2+ y ago34:50

34:50

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio we discuss France, French politics, the role that French President Emmanuel Macron wants to play in the EU and what vision he has for the future of Europe. Disclaimer: the French Presidency of the EU Council which started on 1 January promises a very corporate-driven future of Europe! An EU Presidency prepar…

1
Episode 28: Corona power of Big Pharma & European lies 39:35

2+ y ago39:35

39:35

In this new episode we’ll talk to two experts - Dimitri Eynikel, an expert of Doctors without Borders and CEO-researcher Olivier Hoedeman- on how the EU is dealing with the new phase of the pandemic, with a special focus on the still unresolved unequal access of large parts of the world to Covid-19 vaccines, new medicines and therapeutics. Experts …

1
Episode 27: COP26 and Net Zero Greenwashing 54:34

2+ y ago54:34

54:34

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio we take the temperature of the international Climate conference COP26, that started this week in Glasgow. Activist Greta Thunberg is right by saying and sometime shouting the word ‘Greenwashing’ all over Glasgow. While COP26 in Glasgow was branded by the UK government as the COP where the world should take h…

1
Episode 26: The European Green Deal - Reclaiming Public Investments for a real Socio-ecological Transformation 41:56

2+ y ago41:56

41:56

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio, we take a closer look at the European Green Deal (EGD) and in particular how it is being financed. Counter Balance released their latest report on October 20, 2021. In “The European Green Deal: Reclaiming Public Investments for a real Socio-ecological Transformation” Counter Balance shows that the financial…

1
Episode 24: Recovery Watch VS the Great EU Robbery 40:30

2+ y ago40:30

40:30

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio we dive into the question on how the European governments are actually spending the billion and billions of EU recovery funds. We focus specifically on France, which is taking over the EU presidency as of 2022 (Under the influence | Corporate Europe Observatory) .The climate movements are preparing for the i…

1
Episode 25: Big Tech VS EU Democracy 46:30

3y ago46:30

46:30

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio, we start with a Bang. This podcast deals with the question how the big digital corporations and platforms like Facebook, Google, Amazon and others try to influence European policy making to keep their business models intact.New research by CEO and the colleagues from the German association LobbyControl, sho…

1
Episode 23 Part I: An EU love affair with big pharma 48:59

3y ago48:59

48:59

In this special summer episode we’ll bring you the true story on how the European Union has been dealing with the covid-19 pandemic so far and why the EU seems to have a deep love affair with Big Pharma. In two parts of this podcast several experts will explain that the European Commission – the executive branch of the EU - not only has a very euro…

1
Episode 23 Part II: An EU love affair with big pharma 1:20:56

3y ago1:20:56

1:20:56

In the second part of this episode we first talk with Dimitri Eynikel, expert of Doctors without Borders who explains why the proposals of the EU to counter or derail the proposal of South-Africa and India, are rather meaningless. Dimitri explains why the proposals of the EU to boost global production and access to vaccines and therapeutics will si…

1
Episode 22: EU: social justice or corporate power? 49:06

3y ago49:06

49:06

In this new episode of this podcast we put spotlights on the European Union as an economical superpower and how the EU regulates - or not - corporate power. The European way of doing (geo)politics is often described as ‘soft power’. But the impact of European businesses in other parts of the world – as well as in the EU itself - is often not so sof…

1
Episode 21: Transport vs Climate Change 44:25

3y ago44:25

44:25

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio we dive into the issue of plains, trains, cars and bicycles aka transport and why this is such a powerful issue in the context of climate change and healthy societies.Since the lockdown many plains stayed on the ground, which from a climate perspective is a good thing. The pandemic learned us that we need to…

1
Episode 20: Biotech lobby vs the Green Deal 1:03:25

3y ago1:03:25

1:03:25

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio we dive into the covert lobby tactics used by the biotechnology industry to get a new generation of GMO’s to be used in agriculture, deregulated in the EU. Why are agrochemical companies like Bayer and Corteva so against having European safety rules? And why is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation financing…

1
Episode 19: Climate urgency and false solutions 1:02:40

3+ y ago1:02:40

1:02:40

This new episode of EU Watchdog Radio is dedicated to the Global Climate strike on Friday the 19th of March; Two experts talk about how the current proposed climate policies are too much oriented towards market based solutions and influenced by the same industry that created climate change: the fossil fuel companies.In the year 2021, we have starte…

1
Episode 18: Energy Charter Treaty vs Climate Urgency 26:56

3+ y ago26:56

26:56

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio we dive into one of the biggest examples of ‘cognitive dissonance’ in recent history. Every (European) policymaker knows by now that fossil fuels should stay in the ground, but yet they keep defending the EU’s membership of a treaty that defends fossil fuel investments: the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).We’ll …

1
Episode 17: Lobbying Frontex for Fortress Europe 45:20

3+ y ago45:20

45:20

In this new episode we dive into the incredible story on how Fortress Europe is being constructed by a European agency called the ‘European Border and Coast Guard Agency’ AKA Frontex, almost in the dark and without any democratic oversight. With billions of EU taxpayer’s money and the help of dozens of lobbyists from defense, arms and surveillance …

1
Episode 16: Private vs Public healthcare 1:10:20

3+ y ago1:10:20

1:10:20

Pandemic, austerity, privatisation and the urgency of an honest debate on health care policy.In this first new episode of 2021, we dive into the topic that is unfortunately still on everyone's mind each and every day: the raging pandemic. Our main focus is why were /are health care systems in many countries under such pressure when dealing with Cov…

1
Episode 15: Hydrogen hype vs climate 33:40

3+ y ago33:40

33:40

Listen to CEO-researcher Belen Balanya who published a report on the 'Hydrogen Hype' and why this trojan horse of the gas industry is not a climate solution, making the EU Green Deal a grey deal.By EU Watchdog Radio

1
Episode 14: Black Rocking the Green Deal 32:32

3+ y ago32:32

32:32

‘Black rocking the European Green Deal’ is the title of this fourteenth episode, in which CEO researcher Kenneth Haar and Jana Leutner researcher at Change Finance, discuss the Blackrock scandal. Together they published a report called “The BlackRock Model”, in which they uncover the scale of the blunder of the European Commission by granting a con…

1
Episode 13: Can the EIB become the EU Development Bank? 35:26

3+ y ago35:26

35:26

In this new EU Watchdog Radio episode, Xavier Sol, director at Counter Balance discusses the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) outside of Europe and the bank’s intention to become the ‘EU Development Bank’.A new report published by Counter Balance and CEE Bankwatch Network however shows that the Bank is not yet fit for the task. The report…

1
Episode 12: Common Agricultural Policy VS Farm2Fork 1:06:14

3+ y ago1:06:14

1:06:14

In this new EU Watchdog episode CEO-researcher Nina Holland explains why and how it is possible that the European Parliament and ministers of Agriculture decided this week - under influence of the powerful agrochemical lobby to go for the destructive status quo on European agriculture.Nina Holland, researcher at CEO, main author of a very recent CE…

1
Episode 11: Covid-19, vaccines, Big Pharma’s lobby and the quest for transparency 1:00:12

3+ y ago1:00:12

1:00:12

In this new episode, after a long summer break we dive into the topic that is unfortunately still on everyone's mind each and every day: the raging pandemic. Our main question: when will there be a vaccine? The second question: who controls the development of those vaccines? And who protects the general interest or public health against the problem…

1
Episode 10: An EU Love Affair with Fossil Fuel 29:49

4y ago29:49

29:49

In this tenth episode, German investigative reporter Harald Schumann describes how and why many EU member states seem to still have a crush on fossil fuels. Despite the overwhelming knowledge and practical evidence of the effects of climate change, governments keep subsidizing the use of fossil fuels. Schumann and his colleagues from the pan-Europe…

1
Episode 9: EU Green Deal or Grey Deal? 46:29

4y ago46:29

46:29

In this ninth episode, Belén Balanyá and Lala Hakuma Dadci both researcher and campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory, take a step back and have a critical look at what is currently happening with the EU flagship project the EU Green Deal (EGD).The EGD could be one of the most important and hopeful EU policy initiatives. It is testimony to civi…

1
Episode 8: EU Climate Bank - Greenwashing or Banking Revolution? 33:24

4y ago33:24

33:24

In this eighth episode, Clara Bourgin, research and policy assistant at Counter Balance digs into the recent commitments taken by the Europe Investment Bank (EIB) – the lending arm of the European Union - to become the “EU Climate Bank”.Back in November 2019, the EIB took the groundbreaking decision to phase out its support to fossil fuels and to a…

1
Episode 7: Tainted Love - corporate lobbying and the German EU Presidency 37:16

4y ago37:16

37:16

In this seventh episode Vicky Cann, researcher and campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and Nina Katzemich EU Campaigner at LobbyControl dig into so called the green credentials of the German government. They explain how the German Government’s ‘love affair’ with gas and the unconditional support for its automobile sector are two clear …

1
Episode 6: In the name of innovation 1:05:43

4y ago1:05:43

1:05:43

EU Watchdog Radio is a new podcast hosted jointly by Corporate EuropeObservatory (CEO) and Counter Balance. In the sixth episode MartinPigeon, researcher and campaigner at CEO and Marine Ejuryan, Advocacymanager at ‘Global Health Advocates’ (GHA) explain the content of twoin-depth and damning reports they just published; These reports areabout how,…

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