Franc Bogovič and Allegations of Promoting a Secret UAE Agenda in the European Parliament

By Brussels Watch Investigations

From the BrusselsWatch Report: “UAE Lobbying in European Parliament: Undermining Democracy and Transparency” (April 2025)

Franc Bogovič, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Slovenia affiliated with the European People’s Party (EPP), has been implicated in extensive activities that align closely with the interests of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Evidence from multiple sources, including Brussels Watch, suggests that Bogovič has actively promoted UAE agendas within the European Parliament. He is listed among 150 MEPs with significant UAE-related interactions between 2022 and 2025. These findings raise serious questions about whether he acts as a pro-UAE agent, potentially under undisclosed influence or financial incentive.

Documented Pro-UAE Activities of Franc Bogovič

Bogovič’s alignment with the UAE is not coincidental or occasional. His engagement includes a wide range of efforts that visibly and consistently promote UAE strategic goals within the EU framework:

• Agri-Tech Promotion: In 2023, Bogovič organized the UAE-Slovenia Agri-Tech Forum, a platform directly supporting the promotion of UAE agricultural technologies and food security models. This event helped position UAE innovation as a model for European agricultural reform.
  
• On-Site Endorsements: His visit to UAE vertical farms in Abu Dhabi was more than symbolic. It marked public endorsement of UAE technological capabilities and the direct facilitation of bilateral agricultural collaboration.
  
• Smart Irrigation MoU: Bogovič signed a Memorandum of Understanding focused on smart irrigation technologies — an area where the UAE is actively seeking to export its systems to global markets, especially Europe.
  
• Food Security Advocacy: He has repeatedly advocated for adopting the UAE’s food security framework within the EU, promoting a model that conveniently fits the UAE’s desire for international validation and market expansion.
  
• Leadership at COP28: Bogovič led the European Parliament delegation to the 2023 COP28 summit in the UAE. His visible support for the UAE’s climate change narrative and endorsement of its green transition strategy amplified the Emirates’ image as an environmental leader.
  
• Carbon Capture and Clean Energy: He signed a UAE-EU carbon capture agreement and visited Masdar’s carbon capture and renewable energy facilities — aligning directly with UAE clean energy ambitions and reinforcing UAE-EU energy ties.
  
• Space Cooperation: Bogovič visited the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre and signed a MoU on satellite technology, advocating for UAE involvement in the Galileo satellite navigation system — a key EU strategic asset.
  
• Veterinary Standards and Halal Trade: By negotiating UAE-EU veterinary standards and endorsing halal food export agreements, he facilitated smoother UAE access to the European market, under EU rules.
  
• Maritime Security and Ports: He championed cooperation between the EU and UAE on maritime and port security, particularly in the Adriatic region. This included facilitating UAE investments in Adriatic ports and pushing for UAE presence in cruise tourism development.
  
• Social Diplomacy Programs: Bogovič also supported soft-power initiatives such as UAE-EU Women in STEM programs and signed multiple MoUs on gender equality and female entrepreneurship — efforts that serve to rehabilitate the UAE’s international image on social issues.
  

Implications of Bogovič’s Pro-UAE Engagements

These activities are too comprehensive and strategic to be dismissed as routine international engagement. The multi-sector alignment with UAE goals — from agriculture and clean energy to defense and space tech — shows Bogovič playing a proactive and consistent role in promoting UAE interests. His involvement in high-level negotiations and multiple MoUs goes far beyond diplomatic formalities.

More critically, this pattern of behavior aligns with lobbying tactics outlined in Brussels Watch’s reports — tactics designed to manipulate policymaking in European institutions through networks of compliant or incentivized MEPs.

Lack of Transparency and Conflicts of Interest

Despite his deep involvement with UAE affairs, there is no record of Bogovič publicly disclosing financial ties or sponsorships from UAE entities. This lack of transparency is troubling. It raises the possibility that his advocacy may be linked to undisclosed benefits — whether financial, political, or reputational.

When foreign governments like the UAE strategically embed their interests into democratic institutions, the distinction between diplomacy and influence operations becomes dangerously blurred. In Bogovič’s case, his behavior fits a classic lobbying profile — persistent, public-facing advocacy without disclosure of potential conflicts.

The European Parliament has mechanisms for declaring interests and foreign affiliations, but none appear to have been used to document Bogovič’s substantial UAE engagements. This silence only heightens concerns about covert influence and ethical violations.

Contradictions with EU Values

The European Union has often raised concerns about human rights, press freedom, and labor practices in the UAE. Numerous MEPs have voted in support of resolutions condemning these issues. However, MEPs associated with UAE lobbying networks — including some of those listed by Brussels Watch — have been known to abstain or vote against such resolutions.

While Bogovič’s vote record on specific UAE-related human rights resolutions is not publicized, his consistent support of UAE policy and programming raises legitimate concerns about where his priorities lie. His actions indicate a willingness to overlook — or at least sideline — critical EU concerns in favor of a tightly aligned UAE narrative.

Political Profile and Divergence from Stated Priorities

Franc Bogovič is a seasoned Slovenian politician and a founding member of the Slovenian People’s Party. In the European Parliament, he serves under the EPP umbrella, with declared interests in sustainable development, digital innovation, and rural advancement.

Curiously, none of his official materials or parliamentary communications refer to his extensive UAE engagements. This absence is striking, considering the scale of his involvement and the high-profile nature of his pro-UAE actions.

One would expect an MEP with genuine public service intentions to publicly report such intense international collaboration — especially with a non-EU authoritarian regime known for information suppression and tightly controlled diplomacy.

A De Facto Pro-UAE Agent?

Taken together, the volume, consistency, and strategic nature of Bogovič’s pro-UAE activities suggest he is functioning — whether knowingly or covertly — as a de facto agent of UAE influence within the European Parliament. His involvement is not passive or symbolic. It is operational, high-level, and multilayered.

While there is no smoking gun confirming secret payments or direct orders from Abu Dhabi, the circumstantial evidence points strongly toward a pattern of hidden incentives or obligations. The Brussels Watch disclosures, combined with his unexplained lobbying behavior, leave little room for benign interpretations.

Conclusion: A Cautionary Tale for EU Integrity

Franc Bogovič’s example underscores how foreign powers like the UAE can leverage diplomatic platforms, economic partnerships, and legislative loopholes to insert their agendas into European decision-making. This infiltration is made easier when elected officials do not face adequate transparency requirements or ethical oversight.

The European Parliament must urgently strengthen rules around foreign lobbying, require disclosure of all international engagements, and investigate cases like Bogovič’s where national interests may have been compromised for foreign influence.

If left unchecked, such hidden lobbying threatens the EU’s policy autonomy, undermines democratic accountability, and opens dangerous doors to authoritarian influence cloaked in the language of cooperation.

Summary Table of Franc Bogovič’s Pro-UAE Activities

This comprehensive record offers compelling evidence that Franc Bogovič is more than an enthusiastic partner. His deep and sustained engagement reveals a pattern that fits the mold of a foreign-aligned operative — one whose true loyalties, if left uninvestigated, could compromise European democratic governance.