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You're listening to EU Watchdog Radio.

Welcome to EU Watchdog Radio.

My name is Hans Van Schare, media officer at Corporate Europe Observatory.

In this episode, I'll be talking with Nina Katzimich of the German NGO lobby control and Vicki Khan, researcher at CEO, about the fact that as from today, the 1st of July,

the German government takes over the presidency of the Council, the European institution,

also known as the so-called black box, of the EU decision-making.

There is a serious lack of transparency in how the 27 member states of the EU take decisions on the European level.

Lobby control and CEO joined hands and minds to publish a report called Tainted Love, corporate lobbying and the

upcoming German EU presidency. And I must say it is quite a revealing read. It is the German

government's fate to take over the EU presidency during a global pandemic, an unprecedented economic collapse and,

at a time when action to tackle the climate and environmental crises, are increasingly urgent.

But there are genuine concerns about how close the presidency will be to corporate interests. The report Tainted Love covers many policy issues, carbon dioxide emission targets for cars,

gas infrastructure and the promotion of hydrogen, sustainable investments, or taxonomy, corporate

tax transparency, the digital services tax, e-privacy, the reauthorization of

the weed killer glyphosate, EU fishing quotas, and access to medicines and vaccines.

All these are featured in this report.

Contributions have been made by several German NGOs like Bunt for Unweld and Natureshoots

Deutschland, Deutsche Umwelthildhil, Finance Wendez, Network Steuergrechtigate, Coordination

Geigergergekraine and Our Fish.

Now I have to confess that amidst testosterone-driven power-seeking politicians all over Europe,

...