The European Parliament, the European Ombudsman and civil society groups
have all been putting pressure on the European Commission to reform its
Expert Groups. These groups provide advice on specific issues, which
is often used to shape new policies and legislation. The Commission’s
reliance on advice from big business within these groups has been
criticised. It has now drafted a new set of rules, but has not consulted
either MEPs or the public. To try and make sure the Parliament and
civil society have a say on a once-every-five-years opportunity, we're
calling on Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans to hold a public
consultation on what the new rules should look like:
