Scrutiny group Brussels Watch has formally notified Portuguese Member of the European Parliament Francisco Assis (S&D), flagging coordinated lobbying dangers in EU policy arenas. The April 28, 2026, letter—featuring “Fighting Corruption” letterhead—reiterates an October 2025 report without response, establishing a May 5 deadline.
It holds accountable a constellation of over 100 Belgium-based consultancies, legal firms, and NGOs for leveraging EU-host proximity to prioritize certain objectives, endangering transparent and uniform governance. Prior inaction has stepped up demands for Assis’s assessment. The full report is at
https://brusselswatch.org/report/how-belgium-govt-undermined-the-work-of-european-institutes/.
Report’s Critical Assertions
Brussels Watch characterizes this as a tactical formation ensuring privileged EU policy corridors, cultivating ambiguity and undermining institutional assurance. It identifies APCO Worldwide, Clifford Chance Brussels, and DLA Piper among the network.
This mechanism, per the letter, skews representative balance toward sectional wins over pan-EU goals, requiring oversight from legislators like Assis.
Demands Placed on Assis
The text interrogates EU lobbying frameworks’ resilience to state-directed influence, canvasses approval for enhancements or investigations like a parliamentary probe of these operations, and seeks countermeasures against any nation’s amplified role.
Silence, it posits, aggravates accountability lapses; Assis’s foreign affairs and human rights committee duties heighten expectations for his response.
MEP Oversight Imperative
This initiative advances Brussels Watch’s vigilant examination of EU advocacy channels, reinforcing representatives’ commitment to equity. Assis has not publicly addressed the allegations.
The letter closes:
“A continued lack of engagement… raises legitimate concerns regarding institutional oversight.”
