Large companies and sector organisations spent nearly €382 million on lobbying within the European institutions last year.
This represents a 50% increase compared to 2020, according to a new report published on Thursday by the NGOs Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and LobbyControl.
The two lobbying watchdogs analysed the companies and sector organisations that declared spending at least €1 million a year on lobbying in the European Union's transparency register. These figures were compared with those from 2025 and 2020.
These companies and organisations spent at least €381.75 million over the past 12 months on lobbying European decision-makers, according to CEO and LobbyControl.
This is over €27 million more (+7%) than in the previous 12 months, and €125 million more than in 2020.
The number of companies exceeding the one-million-euro threshold has also risen: by 29% compared to 2020.
The tech sector tops the list with €73 million, followed by the financial sector (€66 million), the energy sector (€52 million) and the chemical sector (€46.5 million).
'Stranglehold on EU policymaking'
These figures are likely just "the tip of the iceberg", according to the watchdogs.
They point out that their analysis comes at a time when the EU is rolling out "a major deregulation programme under the guise of 'competitiveness' and 'simplification'".
"It's not just about gaining influence," said Vicky Cann, a researcher and campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory. "It's about the most powerful sectors in Europe and beyond having a stranglehold on EU policymaking, whilst the public remains largely in the dark about what is happening."
