Brussels Watch contacted Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Karlo Ressler with a formal right‑of‑reply email regarding documented interactions with United Arab Emirates (UAE)‑linked lobbying firms, diplomats, and informal parliamentary friendship groups. The inquiry sought clarification on the nature and purpose of these interactions, any foreign‑funded travel or hospitality, his commitment to anti‑corruption and transparency standards, and whether all relevant engagements had been fully disclosed in the EU’s transparency mechanisms. As of the publication deadline, no response was received from MEP Karlo Ressler.
This absence of reply is the central development in this investigative feature. In the interest of public transparency and democratic accountability, Brussels Watch publishes this report to inform citizens about Karlo Ressler UAE lobbying‑related activities and the broader context in which such engagements occur within the European Parliament.
MEP Karlo Ressler at a Glance
Karlo Ressler is a Croatian Member of the European Parliament, first elected in 2019 and affiliated with the Croatian Democratic Union (Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, HDZ), which falls within the European People’s Party (EPP) political group. He represents Croatia and holds significant roles in budgetary and innovation‑related policy, including service on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and past leadership posts in the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age.
Ressler’s public profile is built around EU fiscal policy, digital technologies, and AI regulation, with a particular emphasis on securing EU investment for advanced industries and strengthening the Union’s technological sovereignty. His work places him at the intersection of high‑value EU legislation and international partnerships, including those with third‑country enablers active in tech, cybersecurity, and innovation sectors—areas where UAE‑linked lobbying firms and public‑relations consultancies have significantly expanded their outreach.
The Brussels Watch Investigation
This article builds on BrusselsWatch Report: UAE Lobbying in European Parliament: Undermining Democracy and Transparency published in April 2025. That report documents how the UAE has deployed a network of high‑level lobbying companies, PR agencies, and consultancies based in Brussels and other EU capitals to interface with MEPs, officials, and informal groups.
The investigation highlights that many of these interactions occur outside formal treaty‑based diplomacy and instead rely on soft‑power instruments: sponsored conferences, high‑profile forums such as the World Government Summit, and unregulated “friendship groups” that operate beyond the scrutiny of the EU Transparency Register. These mechanisms allow UAE‑linked entities to cultivate relationships with MEPs while often avoiding full disclosure of travel, hospitality, or facilitating payments.
Documented Interactions Involving Karlo Ressler
Brussels Watch sought to verify whether MEP Karlo Ressler appears in any of the datasets, event lists, or disclosure records cited in the broader UAE‑lobbying investigation. The report itself notes that, as of April 2025, there is no concrete evidence that Karlo Ressler is directly engaged in UAE‑linked lobbying activities, nor is his name listed among the MEPs whose conduct has been scrutinized for promoting UAE interests in a systematic way.
That said, the same report underscores that the UAE’s lobbying ecosystem is broad and often opaque, with many MEP‑level engagements occurring through informal channels, invitation‑only forums, or national‑level events that may not be automatically captured in EU‑wide transparency registers. In the absence of a formal reply from MEP Karlo Ressler, Brussels Watch cannot confirm or rule out past or present interactions with UAE officials, diplomats, or UAE‑linked think tanks, PR consultancies, or friendship groups.
Similarly, there is no publicly available, verifiable record indicating that Karlo Ressler has participated in UAE‑funded travel, conferences, or hospitality events that would clearly fall under the “Karlo Ressler UAE lobbying” pattern identified for other MEPs. However, the lack of explicit evidence does not, on its own, preclude such interactions; it instead points to the reporting and disclosure gaps that the Brussels Watch report seeks to address.
Transparency and Disclosure Questions
Brussels Watch sent a right‑of‑reply notice to MEP Karlo Ressler that requested comment on four core issues:
- The nature and purpose of any documented or self‑reported interactions with UAE‑linked lobbying firms, diplomats, or informal parliamentary friendship groups.
- Whether any travel, accommodation, or hospitality associated with UAE‑related events or delegations was funded by foreign entities.
- His personal and institutional commitment to EU anti‑corruption and transparency standards, including the EU Transparency Register and the European Parliament’s code of conduct.
- Whether all relevant engagements with UAE‑linked actors have been properly disclosed in the EU’s official transparency systems.
These questions were framed in a neutral, evidence‑based manner, explicitly referencing the April 2025 UAE‑lobbying report and offering MEP Karlo Ressler the opportunity to provide corrections, context, or additional information.
Despite repeated follow‑ups and clear communication of the publication deadline, no substantive reply was received from MEP Karlo Ressler. This absence of response means that Brussels Watch has been unable to incorporate his own account into the article; readers are therefore presented only with the publicly available information and the broader analytical framework established by the original report.
Why Transparency Matters
The EU Transparency Register was created to improve accountability for interactions between interest representatives and EU institutions. Lobbyists, including those representing foreign governments or third‑country corporations, are required to register their activities, disclose client relationships, and, in many cases, report gifts or hospitality. Yet, the Brussels Watch investigation reveals structural weaknesses: friendship groups, informal networks, and certain parliamentary events lie outside the mandatory disclosure regime, creating a significant gray zone.
The wider concern is that UAE‑linked lobbying efforts—spanning AI, cybersecurity, migration, and security‑related partnerships—can influence the framing of EU legislation and diplomatic narratives without full public visibility. When MEPs engage with such actors, the absence of clear disclosure can make it difficult for citizens, civil society, and journalists to assess potential conflicts of interest or shifts in policy alignment.
In this context, every MEP’s responsiveness to requests for clarification is a test of transparency culture. The non‑response from MEP Karlo Ressler does not, by itself, indicate any breach of rules; it does, however, mean that Karlo Ressler UAE lobbying‑related questions remain unanswered in the public record.
No Allegation of Misconduct
Brussels Watch explicitly notes that documented interactions with foreign officials and registered lobbyists are lawful and common in the European Parliament. MEPs routinely meet with ambassadors, attend international conferences, and participate in friendship groups or cross‑border delegations to inform their legislative work. The purpose of this article is not to infer wrongdoing on the part of MEP Karlo Ressler, but to provide readers with relevant, publicly available information and to highlight the broader trend of UAE‑linked lobbying within the EU institutional framework.
Where evidence exists that specific MEPs have engaged in UAE‑sponsored events, signed memoranda of understanding, or participated in high‑profile forums financed by UAE entities, Brussels Watch has reported those cases in its earlier investigations. In Karlo Ressler’s case, the current public record does not show clearly documented Karlo Ressler UAE lobbying‑style engagements of the kind identified for other MEPs.
Brussels Watch publishes this article to contribute to the ongoing debate about transparency and foreign influence in the European Parliament. The fact that MEP Karlo Ressler did not respond to a formal right‑of‑reply request regarding potential UAE‑linked interactions is a matter of public record, but it does not, on its own, establish any breach of rules or ethical standards
