From Big Tech to Big Pharma: Companies spend more than ever on lobbying

Corporations and business associations are investing more in lobbying than ever before. Companies such as Meta, Shell, and Bayer spend around €382 million annually to influence legislation and political decision-making in Brussels—50 percent more than in 2020. This is shown by a new study by LobbyControl and Corporate Europe Observatory.

Lobby spending in the tech sector rose to €73 million in 2026, placing Big Tech at the top of the spending rankings, followed by the financial industry, energy companies, chemicals and agriculture, and business associations. Around 173 companies spend more than €1 million per year on influencing EU policy and were included in the study.

To ensure transparency around lobbying activities in Brussels, the EU has a Transparency Register. However, registration is not legally mandatory. Since there are no effective sanctions, the quality of the data depends entirely on the voluntary disclosures made by registrants.

The rise in lobbying expenditure coincides with the Commission’s plans to deregulate numerous sectors of the economy. In particular, right-wing and conservative parties support weakening consumer and environmental protection standards.

Daniel Freund, Greens/EFA coordinator in the Committee on Budgetary Control:

“Never before have corporations and business associations spent so much money to influence political decision-making. At the same time, effective rules and oversight bodies have never been more important. We need a mandatory lobby transparency register. We need an ethics body that sets standards across all EU institutions. And we must ensure that civil society is heard just as much as well-funded industry lobbyists. Otherwise, consumers and the environment will ultimately pay the price.”