Europe Inc.

Over the past two decades, the major international corporations have become industrial lobbyists within the European Union to such an extent that they pose a threat to democracy. This new and fully revised edition of Europe Inc. provides a much-needed insight into the systematic ways in which transnational corporations work through lobby groups to shape EU policy. With a new introduction, updated statistics and new resources, it's an invaluable handbook for anyone interested in the EU and the political power that corporations wield. The authors cover the major players in this anti-democratic practice and analyse the factors that have enabled corporate influence in Europe to dominate. They examine how governments have been persuaded to increase competitiveness by dismantling and privatising public services, deregulating industry, and dismantling social and environmental protections; the increasing influence of corporate lobby groups on decision makers and the corresponding lack of voice given to small business, organised labour and individual citizens; the impact of the single market and currency; structural adjustment in Eastern Europe; the role of European industrial lobby groups within the WTO, and the important Multilateral Agreement on Investment. Case studies include the biotech industry, the public relations industry and the UN climate summit.

ISBN 0745321631   Pages 288 ISBN13 9780745321639 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Pluto Press   Weight (grammes) 426 Imprint Pluto Press   Published in London Format Paperback   Previous ISBN 9780745314914 Publication date 12 Sep 2003   Height (mm) 215 Writer of foreword George Monbiot   Width (mm) 135 Library of Congress HD72   Spine width (mm) 19 DEWEY 338.8884   Academic level Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

		Abbreviations
		Foreword by George Monbiot
		Preface
		Introduction to the New Edition
I		Corporate Europe
1		Welcome to Corporate Europe		3
2		Laying the Foundations: European PR Agencies and Think-Tanks		11
3		Writing the Script: The European Roundtable of Industrialists		19
4		UNICE: Industry's Well-oiled Lobby Machine		37
5		AmCham Chimes in with the Brussels Corporate Choir		45
6		Polishing the EMU: The Association for the Monetary Union of Europe		49
7		Doing Business in Amsterdam: The ERT, UNICE and the Treaty of Amsterdam		58
8		Oiling the Wheels: Lobbying for European Transport Infrastructure		68
9		Forcefeeding Europe: The Biotech Lobby		79
II		Going Global
10		Globalisation: Corporate-led, EU-fed		91
11		The Transatlantic Connection		97
12		MAIgalomania: The Global Corporate Investment Agenda and the Citizens' Movement Opposing It		109
13		The WTO Millennium Bug: Corporate Control over Global Trade Politics		123
III		Planet Inc.
14		Landing on Planet Inc.		143
15		Global Elite Meetings: The Bilderberg Group, the Trilateral Commission and the World Economic Forum		145
16		Exploiting Sustainability: The World Business Council for Sustainable Development		150
17		The Weather Gods: Corporations Profit from Climate Change		155
		More...

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