Kenneth Haar
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kennethhaar.bsky.social
Kenneth Haar
@kennethhaar.bsky.social
Researcher and campaigner, Corporate Europe Observatory, fighting corporate power. Keywords: social justice, democracy, environment, planet, kayaks, music, books, friends, Rikke and the kids. Based in Copenhagen, but most colleagues are in Brussels.
Corporate lobbyists in the EU are very successful. If you're not up to reading reports about it, here's a podcast that may help.

I am talking to Licia Cianetti, Birmingh. Uni. and I am explaining the experiences of my group, Corporate Europe Observatory.

newbooksnetwork.com/how-corporat...
How Corporate Lobbyists are Capturing EU Institutions - New Books Network
newbooksnetwork.com
February 17, 2026 at 11:43 AM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
Who lobbies the EU?
Not just corporations — but a whole ecosystem of actors:
NGOs and trade unions, but mostly corporate lobbyists, trade and industry groups, consultancies, law firms, and think tanks.

🔦It’s time to shine a light on their murky world!
Watch the 3rd video of our new series.
January 27, 2026 at 9:47 AM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
While Trump boasts and flexes his muscles with Tech Bros and other allies in Davos, EU governments are meeting to discuss how to respond to his plans to take over Greenland and his trade war.

Will they rise to the challenge, or will they once again bow to Trump?

Here’s what they should do:
January 20, 2026 at 10:56 AM
Beautiful demos in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Viborg, Odense, Nuuk and Ilulisaat today against Trump's threats. Thank you to the Greenlandic groups behind the initiative.

Someone said the Cph Town Hall Square has'nt been that full since DK won the European football championship in 1992!
January 17, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
☠️ New GMOs: The result of last night comes down to a massive handout of our foodchain to pesticide firms like Bayer and BASF.

This is a vast #deregulation:
🚨scrapping safety standards,
🚨scrapping consumer freedom to choose
🚨creating more dependence for farmers through patents
December 4, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
Crunchtime: tonight last planned negotiation on deregulation of new GM food (#NGTs): will negotiators Jessica Polfjard and Denmark allow for no safety, no consumer choice, but patented food? Save Our Seeds, FOEE, Solidagro and CEO handed over 500K signatures from citizens who want freedom of choice.
December 3, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
🍿Last chance to catch the premiere of CEO’s documentary “The Scramble for Hydrogen in South Africa” featuring the voices and stories of some of the most affected communities in South Africa that are being ignored by EU politicians.

📅 27Nov
📍 Cinema Vendôme, Brussels
👉 corporateeurope.org/en/event/4
November 26, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
THREAD: 1/6

Part IV of our FAQs on the EU’s not-so-Clean Industrial Deal is out 🕵️‍♀️ taking a closer look at its support of two fossil fuel industry favourite false solutions: hydrogen and carbon capture👇

corporateeurope.org/en/2025/11/d...
November 4, 2025 at 11:03 AM
"Ein Europa des Kapitals" - the title of the German version of my book about the EU and corporate power. Now out, available here: www.rosalux.de/publikation/...

I am so grateful to the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung for doing first an English and a German version.

In Berlin next week for a presentation.
Ein Europa des Kapitals - Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung
Über die Einflussnahme von Unternehmen auf die EU-Politik – und wie man dagegen vorgehen kann
www.rosalux.de
November 3, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
The EU’s #deregulation machine is running full-speed - and the Commission isn't keen on letting the public see how it works

In less than a year the Commission had 605 meetings with lobbyists on ‘simplification’ but #transparency is deeply insufficient

New post: corporateeurope.org/en/deregulat...
Deregulation Watch | Corporate Europe Observatory
Check out our new posts on Deregulation Watch which helps civil society monitor new developments in the deregulation agenda, assess what’s at stake, and organise in defence of strong social, environme...
corporateeurope.org
October 16, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
🎥 Film screening + debate 🎥

What: special preview screening of CEO's new doc on community resistance to the EU's green hydrogen drive. Followed by a debate + drinks 🍻
Where: Mundo Matonge, BXL
When: 19h00
With: @rosaluxstiftung.bsky.social @counter-balance.bsky.social @attacdeutschland.bsky.social
September 30, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
You can also read @kennethhaar.bsky.social 's oped in 🇵🇹, 🇪🇸, 🇬🇧 (below)

"Precisamos do envolvimento cívico para livrar Bruxelas da mania da desregulamentação que domina a agenda actual, colocando as pessoas e o planeta em perigo", lê aqui o artigo em Pt no @publico.pt

www.publico.pt/2025/09/18/a...
Não este tipo de Europa, por favor
Precisamos do envolvimento cívico para livrar Bruxelas da mania da desregulamentação que domina a agenda actual, colocando as pessoas e o planeta em perigo.
www.publico.pt
September 19, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
"Necesitamos la participación ciudadana para librar a Bruselas de la manía desreguladora que domina la agenda actual y pone en peligro a las personas y al planeta", puedes leer el artículo de @kennethhaar.bsky.social en @elsaltodiario.com en castellano.

👉 www.elsaltodiario.com/tribuna/no-c...
No esa clase de Europa, por favor
Necesitamos la participación ciudadana para librar a Bruselas de la manía desreguladora que domina la agenda actual y pone en peligro a las personas y al planeta.
www.elsaltodiario.com
September 19, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
If your Czech, Portuguese and Castillian are rusty, you can also read it in English 👉 corporateeurope.org/en/2025/09/n...

We need civic involvement to rid Brussels of the deregulation mania that dominates the current agenda, putting people and planet in peril. Op ed by @kennethhaar.bsky.social .
Not that kind of Europe, please | Corporate Europe Observatory
We need civic involvement to rid Brussels of the deregulation mania that dominates the current agenda, putting people and planet in peril. Op ed by Kenneth Haar.
corporateeurope.org
September 19, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Can you have both social justice and tackle climate change?

Of course.

But the European far right is spreading the myth
that we have to choose (actually, they want neither).

Great piece from VoxEurop @stellalevantesi.bsky.social with contributions from me/CEO.

voxeurop.eu/en/climate-a...
‘Climate action is too costly’: how the far right and big business are weaponising social instability to block progress
Far-right parties and industry lobbies across Europe exploit economic insecurity to undermine climate policies, claiming a choice between green transition and social justice. But researchers stress bo...
voxeurop.eu
July 25, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
Before 1 Aug. the EU has to do a trade deal with Trump to avoid steep tariffs on exports.

Tough language is used, but the EU is actually giving big concessions.

Understand what is going in from our latest podcast, and see examples below

corporateeurope.org/en/2025/07/h...
How trade tariffs and deregulation go hand in hand | Corporate Europe Observatory
Listen to the brand new podcast episode, where Kenneth Haar discusses the link between the announced trade tariffs from the USA to the EU and deregulation.
corporateeurope.org
July 23, 2025 at 1:14 PM
The Trump camp have put unacceptable demands to the EU for him to cool the trade war: deregulate to please US corporations. Unfortunately, some of it fits hand in glove with the EUs own deregulation agenda.

Hear me talk to my great colleagues Joana and Marcella about that in this podcast.
📻 New #podcast episode just dropped!
🌶️ It's summer, so we decided to stay hot and talk about the trade tariffs the US will impose on the EU starting August 1st, and how that is linked to the EU Commission's deregulation wave

🎧 Teaser below + full epiode here 👉 open.spotify.com/episode/35PG...
July 23, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
In Feb we & @lobbycontrol.bsky.social complained about likely under- & over-reporting in EU lobby register.

Secretariat has now come back with outcome which shows €47 millions-worth of changes

💶 €2,450,000 added
💶 €23,145,000 taken off
💶 €22,150,000 removed

corporateeurope.org/en/complaint...
July 17, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Today it was announced that the far right group Patriots for Europe will be in charge of the European Parliament's negotiations on the 2040 climate targets.

Well. What could possibly go wrong.

Worth noting, that without the support from conservative EPP group, the far right would be check-mate.
July 8, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
On the wider #Chemicals Industry Action Plan, it seems clear that the toxics industry will be celebrating
July 8, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
1/2 We've made it to Strasbourg 🇫🇷🥖🧀 👔

Tomorrow @corporateeurope.org will be in the EU Parliament for a preview screening of our new documentary 🎥 The Scramble for Hydrogen in South Africa 🎥 See the teaser here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AATC...

If you're in Strasbourg, join us! Deets below
July 8, 2025 at 5:47 PM
There is a strong chance we will see severe cuts in welfare across the EU in the coming years. Many member states already in dire straits, and now comes a wave of rearmament spending

The Danish EU Presidency began last week. They will not be of any help, for sure

www.euractiv.com/section/econ...
Military spending splurge ‘risk factor’ for EU economy, says Denmark - Euractiv
Stephanie Lose told Euractiv that Europe’s defence build-up must be combined with “wise decisions” to lower debt and deficit levels.
www.euractiv.com
July 7, 2025 at 9:59 AM
New data on top recipients of EU research funding in recent years: Airbus, Thales, Safran, Leonardo.

Holy smoke! Arms companies snatch the brunt!

And in a blunt rephrasing of the report: the support is not efficient. It is crude handouts to big corporations.
July 4, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Reposted by Kenneth Haar
🚨 NEW POLL: roughly TWICE as many people in France, Germany & Spain want the EU to break up Big Tech giants, as those who don't.

@ec.europa.eu will soon decide whether to dismantle Google's toxic adtech monopoly. Will it listen to EU citizens and #BreakUpBigTech?

peoplevsbig.tech/large-majori...
July 3, 2025 at 7:49 AM
A guide to deregulation in the EU under the new EU Commission. May not give the full picture - that would be a report of 100 pages, but it does give the essentials: how it works, what is targeted (almost everything), who is calling the shots.

You may not know you need to know this, but you do!

🙃
July 2, 2025 at 8:26 AM