At Brussels Watch, our mission is rooted in an unflinching commitment to exposing corruption, covert lobbying, and undue foreign influence at the heart of the European Union. As an independent watchdog, we hold EU institutions, officials, and affiliated entities to account through rigorous, evidence-based investigations and public interest reporting. Our editorial and advocacy work is guided by a clear set of ethical principles that prioritize transparency, integrity, and democratic accountability. This policy outlines the standards we uphold in every publication, ensuring that Brussels Watch remains a credible, authoritative voice in the fight against hidden power and systemic opacity in Brussels and beyond.
Our core mission is to deliver independent, evidence-based journalism and analysis that sheds light on corruption and lobbying practices affecting the European Union’s institutions, decision-making processes, and regulatory frameworks. We aim to inform and empower a broad audience—including journalists, policymakers, researchers, civil society organizations, and the general public—with the information they need to recognize, understand, and counteract illicit influence.
By focusing on the detection of hidden lobbying, conflicts of interest, and the misuse of public office for private gain, we strive to bolster the democratic values of openness and participation. We highlight cases where foreign influence or unaccountable lobbying poses threats to transparency and the rule of law, helping build public pressure for policy reforms and stronger institutional safeguards.
Our editorial independence is non-negotiable. We operate free from the influence of governments, political parties, corporations, or special interest groups. Editorial decisions are made solely on the basis of evidence, public interest relevance, and professional judgment, and are insulated from financial or political considerations.
All funding relationships or partnerships are publicly disclosed in the spirit of transparency. Where potential conflicts exist, they are addressed proactively through clear separation between funding and editorial operations. We reject censorship, editorial manipulation, or any attempt—internal or external—to skew or suppress findings for strategic or reputational gain.
Our investigative work is grounded in methodological rigor, source triangulation, and ethical responsibility. We rely on a wide array of verifiable sources including public records, financial disclosures, legal documents, academic research, whistleblower insights, and interviews with informed experts. Each investigation is subjected to peer review and fact-checking to validate claims and eliminate errors.
Confidential sources are protected through strict security protocols, including encryption and anonymous attribution when necessary. We recognize the ethical responsibility of protecting individuals who expose corruption while ensuring our reporting maintains factual accuracy and contextual balance.
Transparency is a guiding principle across all aspects of our work. We provide full disclosure of:
We are accountable to the public we serve. Corrections and clarifications are issued promptly when errors are discovered, and we maintain an open channel for reader feedback, critique, and community input. All such interactions are treated as opportunities for institutional learning and process refinement.
Our content portfolio includes investigative reports, policy analysis, briefings, commentary, visual data maps, and expert interviews. Each publication is crafted to deliver insight into the mechanisms, consequences, and actors involved in EU-level corruption and lobbying.
We maintain a high standard of editorial quality—ensuring every piece is:
Editorial tone is professional, objective, and consistent across all formats.
We value diverse perspectives and aim to include underrepresented voices in both our research processes and thematic coverage. Whether engaging local communities, civil society watchdogs, or academic experts, we strive to present balanced narratives that avoid marginalization.
We routinely consult stakeholders across sectors and geographies to ensure our findings are reflective of real-world dynamics and inclusive of varying viewpoints. Our editorial practices actively guard against ethnocentrism, institutional bias, or Eurocentric framing.
All contributors—including permanent staff, fellows, and guest authors—must disclose any personal, financial, or institutional affiliations that could influence their work. Where unavoidable, such relationships are transparently acknowledged.
We uphold strict ethical standards around:
Plagiarism, data manipulation, or misinformation are grounds for removal and institutional review.
We publish our findings through digital platforms, press releases, newsletters, social media channels, and open-access databases. Our content is clearly labeled to differentiate between investigative journalism, expert commentary, and opinion pieces.
We proactively engage media outlets, advocacy networks, and EU-level policymakers to ensure that our findings contribute to the broader ecosystem of transparency and reform. Multilingual publishing and content localization are prioritized to reach diverse EU constituencies.
Our editorial team undergoes regular professional development in areas such as digital security, open-source intelligence (OSINT), investigative journalism, and EU regulatory systems. Internal audits of research and editorial practices are conducted periodically to align with evolving global standards and technologies.
We invite external experts and peer reviewers to assess our methodologies, offering recommendations that feed into policy updates. Our editorial policy is a living document—reviewed annually and revised as necessary to reflect changing realities in corruption tracking, lobbying transparency, and digital research ethics.
This editorial policy stands as a testament to our belief that exposing corruption and defending democratic integrity requires truth-telling without compromise. Through factual investigation, analytical precision, and ethical rigor, we aim to become a trusted resource for those seeking to understand and dismantle the web of influence that distorts policymaking in the European Union.
By continuously refining our approach and remaining rooted in principles of transparency and public accountability, we work toward a Europe where governance is open, ethical, and answerable to its citizens—not the highest bidder.
