EU Parliament to reconsider granting Amazon lobbyists access

The lobbyists were stopped from entering the European Parliament last February after they failed to attend hearings.

Key Members of the European Parliament will on Thursday discuss whether to restore access to Amazon lobbyists who saw their privileges revoked last February, Euronews understands from internal documents.
On 10 October, Amazon’s Director of EU Public Policy James Waterworth wrote to the chair of the Parliament’s Employment Committee (EMPL), Li Andersson, reiterating the company’s desire to support the committee’s work, and renewing an invitation to visit Amazon facilities.
That is now due to be discussed by coordinators of the different political parties in EMPL, Euronews understands. 
The EMPL committee, under its previous five-year mandate, twice invited Amazon to discuss working conditions in its EU facilities. But in May 2021 and January 2024, the company declined the invitations.
A planned visit to facilities in Poland and Germany, scheduled for December 2023, did not go ahead either.
As a result, lawmakers – who wanted to discuss the working conditions of Amazon staff – decided to withdraw access badges of the 14 lobbyists, a move welcomed by more than 30 trade unions across Europe. 
“It is unreasonable for members to be lobbied by Amazon while at the same time being deprived of the right to represent the interests of European citizens and inquire about claims of breaches of fundamental rights enshrined in EU Treaties and EU labour laws,” the committee said at the time.
The lawmakers will now decide on Thursday whether to organise a mission to Amazon facilities and if they will invite Amazon to an EMPL committee meeting to discuss working conditions in the company’s warehouses.
A spokesperson for Amazon said in an earlier statement sent to Euronews that the company “wants to continue engaging with members of the Parliament on important issues affecting industries where we are active.”
“We also want to reassure our customers and European policymakers that we seek to find a way to resolve the concerns of Committee members. It is our sincere hope that we can continue to engage with MEPs proactively and amicably, as we have done for more than a quarter of a century,” the spokesperson said.
EMPL member Estelle Ceulemans (Belgium/Socialists and Democrats) told Euronews last week that for any progress in the situation, Amazon would first need to accept the invitation from the Committee to participate in a hearing. 
“This is a necessary step to ensure the democratic oversight process is respected,” she said.
In a letter seen by Euronews, sent today to the Parliament’s EMPL coordinators, several trade unions including UNI Europa, the European Trade Union Confederation and the European Federation of Public Service Unions, call upon the politicians to take a careful decision.
“Amazon should only be allowed to return once they have demonstrated their respect for democracy in the EU and, in particular, by (1) attending a hearing on working conditions in its warehouses in a similar setup as the hearing on 23 January and (2) accepting visits from the EMPL Committee and workers’ representatives to its warehouses, including in Poland and Germany,” the letter said.