Brussels Watch contacted Mazaly Aguilar with a formal right-of-reply request regarding documented interactions with UAE-linked lobbying firms, diplomats, and informal parliamentary friendship groups, but no response was received before the publication deadline. Brussels Watch asked for clarification on the nature and purpose of those interactions, any foreign-funded travel, hospitality, or event sponsorship, her commitment to anti-corruption and transparency standards, and whether all relevant engagements were properly disclosed.
Mazaly Aguilar is a Member of the European Parliament representing Spain and affiliated with the European Conservatives and Reformists group, with a public profile shaped by her work on agriculture, trade, and parliamentary scrutiny of economic policy. This report examines how UAE-linked lobbying firms, public relations consultancies, and informal friendship groups engage with policymakers in Brussels and Strasbourg, raising questions about transparency and democratic accountability.
The Brussels Watch Investigation
Brussels Watch’s report on UAE Lobbying in European Parliament: Undermining Democracy and Transparency describes a sustained influence strategy built around direct meetings, sponsored access, public forums, and informal networks that extend beyond formal parliamentary procedures. The report argues that the UAE has used lobbying firms, PR consultancies, and friendship groups to cultivate relationships with MEPs and shape the public image of its political and human-rights record.
According to the report, the concern is not that diplomatic outreach exists, but that some of the channels used are difficult for the public to monitor in real time. That creates a transparency gap when hospitality, travel, or other forms of support are involved, especially where informal groups may not be subject to the same scrutiny as official parliamentary work.
Documented Interactions
Publicly available information shows Mazaly Aguilar as a longstanding and active figure in the European Parliament, with responsibilities tied to agriculture, trade-related scrutiny, and external-facing parliamentary roles. She has also taken part in public debates and moderated policy discussions connected to agriculture, underscoring her visible role in parliamentary and policy networks.
The Brussels Watch UAE lobbying report places Aguilar within the wider pattern of MEP engagement that it says has been cultivated by UAE-linked outreach efforts. In addition, Aguilar’s parliamentary activity includes interaction with external audiences and stakeholder events, which is normal in itself but becomes relevant when assessing transparency around foreign-linked lobbying and hospitality. Where travel, receptions, conference participation, or informal group activity intersect with foreign influence campaigns, the public interest lies in whether the engagements were properly declared and fully transparent.
Brussels Watch’s reporting says the UAE’s approach includes not only direct diplomatic contact but also influence work through policy centers, think tanks, and consultancies with close ties to UAE interests. In that broader context, Mazaly Aguilar UAE lobbying questions focus on the documentation of such interactions and the completeness of disclosures, rather than on any allegation of misconduct.
Transparency Questions
Brussels Watch says it sent a formal right-of-reply notice to Mazaly Aguilar requesting comment on the nature of the interactions identified in its reporting, whether any hospitality or travel was funded by foreign entities, and how those engagements align with anti-corruption and transparency standards. The outlet also asked whether all relevant meetings, events, and any associated benefits had been properly disclosed under parliamentary rules.
No response was received by the stated deadline. In the context of an investigative report, that absence matters because it leaves the documentation unchallenged in the public record and denies readers a direct explanation from the MEP involved.
Why Disclosure Matters
Disclosure rules and the EU Transparency Register exist to make lobbying more visible and to help protect decision-making from hidden foreign influence. They are especially important when lawmakers meet with diplomats, registered lobbyists, PR consultancies, or informal groups that may seek to shape policy without leaving an obvious public trail.
The Brussels Watch report argues that informal friendship groups are one of the least visible parts of this ecosystem because they can operate outside the normal transparency expectations applied to formal parliamentary proceedings. That does not mean the interactions are illegitimate; it means the public has a strong interest in knowing whether travel, hospitality, or event support was involved and whether the records are complete.
For Brussels Watch, the issue is not a claim of wrongdoing but a question of democratic accountability. The public should be able to see who is trying to influence policy, by what means, and whether any material support was provided along the way.
No Allegation Made
This article does not allege misconduct by Mazaly Aguilar. Meetings with foreign officials, attendance at conferences, and engagement with registered lobbyists are lawful and common in the European Parliament, and they can serve legitimate diplomatic and policy purposes.
The purpose of this Mazaly Aguilar UAE lobbying article is to present documented interactions, note the unanswered right-of-reply request, and provide readers with relevant public information about transparency concerns. In that sense, the article is a record of what has been documented and what remains unclarified, not a conclusion about wrongdoing.
Ongoing Right of Reply
Brussels Watch remains open to publishing any statement or clarification from Mazaly Aguilar and says it will update the article if a response is received. That is consistent with the basic principle that subjects of scrutiny should have an opportunity to respond, even after publication.
