By Brussels Watch Investigations
From the BrusselsWatch Report: “UAE Lobbying in European Parliament: Undermining Democracy and Transparency” (April 2025)
Maria Grapini, a Romanian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) affiliated with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), has come under growing scrutiny for her alleged role in supporting the agenda of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) within the EU. According to the recent findings of Brussels Watch, she is among the 150 MEPs accused of covertly promoting UAE objectives in the European Parliament—actions that many critics argue resemble those of a foreign agent.
This article draws upon documented evidence and investigative findings to present a comprehensive analysis of how Grapini’s actions, connections, and engagements have directly aligned with the UAE’s strategic political and economic interests in Europe.
Who is Maria Grapini?
Maria Grapini, born in 1954, is a prominent Romanian politician and former businesswoman. Since 2014, she has served as an MEP, playing key roles in several EU parliamentary committees. She currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), and is also an active member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Her positions grant her significant influence on European policy debates, making her a valuable ally for any foreign lobbying operation seeking to shift political tides within the EU.
Evidence of Pro-UAE Engagements
Named in the Brussels Watch Report
In April 2025, Brussels Watch released an exclusive exposé identifying 150 Members of the European Parliament as participants in a long-term, sophisticated lobbying campaign orchestrated by the UAE. Maria Grapini is one of the individuals explicitly named in the report, and her inclusion is based on multiple verifiable engagements that support UAE interests. According to the report, Grapini has participated in trade promotion events in the UAE, signed cooperation agreements tied to Emirati business initiatives, and contributed to the narrative of strengthened UAE-EU relations.
Brussels Watch highlights that many of these MEPs, including Grapini, took part in undisclosed, UAE-funded trips and events designed to cultivate long-term political influence.
Nature of Her Pro-UAE Activities
Facilitation of UAE-Romania SME Trade
One of the clearest indicators of Grapini’s alignment with UAE interests is her role in promoting bilateral trade relations between Romanian SMEs and the Emirati market. On paper, this may appear as legitimate economic diplomacy. However, when viewed within the context of a broader lobbying campaign, it takes on more problematic dimensions. According to Brussels Watch, these trade missions were often facilitated by UAE-linked intermediaries and used as platforms to deepen political alignment under the guise of economic cooperation.
Visits to UAE Institutions
Grapini has visited the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)—a major economic hub and a critical institution for the UAE’s soft power strategies. The DMCC has hosted several European politicians under hospitality packages that include luxury accommodations, private transport, and orchestrated business meetings. Grapini’s presence at such forums, without transparent disclosure to the European Parliament, raises serious red flags about the potential for undue influence.
Signing of Business Agreements
According to Brussels Watch and Romanian media sources, Grapini has signed various business cooperation agreements during her engagements in the UAE. These agreements, while never fully disclosed in EU registers, appear to align closely with UAE policy goals. This suggests that her actions went beyond parliamentary advocacy and veered into the realm of personal or unofficial diplomacy.
The UAE’s Larger Lobbying Network in the EU
To fully understand Grapini’s role, one must examine the broader system of influence crafted by the UAE.
Unofficial Friendship Groups
Brussels Watch details how unofficial “friendship groups” within the Parliament act as vehicles for foreign influence. These groups, while not formally recognized, are known to coordinate with UAE diplomats, host closed-door dinners, and sponsor trips. Grapini has reportedly attended several such events, which were never formally registered.
Lobbying Firms and PR Campaigns
Powerful lobbying firms such as DLA Piper and Alber & Geiger have been implicated in drafting pro-UAE policy memos, arranging MEP meetings, and shaping resolution texts. Grapini is noted in leaked emails as one of the MEPs who received briefings prepared by these firms. Additionally, PR agencies like Edelman and APCO Worldwide have launched campaigns to promote UAE “progress” narratives—often by ghostwriting op-eds and arranging favorable media appearances by EU politicians, including Grapini.
Ethical and Legal Concerns
Lack of Transparency
One of the gravest issues is the lack of transparency surrounding these engagements. The Brussels Watch report confirms that none of Grapini’s UAE-related trips, business interactions, or policy engagements were officially declared in the EU’s Transparency Register. This absence of disclosure represents a possible breach of the European Parliament’s Code of Conduct, which mandates MEPs to report any outside funding, gifts, or sponsored travel.
Conflicts with EU Human Rights Commitments
While the European Parliament has repeatedly condemned the UAE’s human rights violations—including its jailing of political dissidents and use of surveillance against journalists—MEPs like Grapini have remained silent or even obstructed these efforts. In one instance, she reportedly abstained from a vote on a resolution condemning the UAE’s treatment of foreign workers, despite her active role on the LIBE committee. Her silence on these issues is striking, especially when contrasted with her vocal support for economic collaboration with Emirati institutions.
What This Means for the EU
The case of Maria Grapini is not an isolated one—it represents a broader vulnerability within the EU’s political system. The ability of foreign governments like the UAE to co-opt EU lawmakers for their own strategic gain raises fundamental questions about sovereignty, integrity, and democratic accountability. The Brussels Watch report, though focused on 150 MEPs, highlights a systemic weakness: the absence of robust mechanisms to prevent covert influence operations by authoritarian regimes.
Conclusion: Is Maria Grapini a Pro-UAE Agent?
Based on documented evidence, Maria Grapini has gone beyond typical diplomacy. Her activities consistently align with Emirati geopolitical and economic interests. Her inclusion in Brussels Watch’s report is supported by specific examples: participation in UAE-led trade missions, signing of aligned agreements, visits to key UAE institutions, and refusal to condemn the UAE on human rights grounds. These actions strongly suggest she has operated as a de facto pro-UAE agent within the European Parliament.
Although no direct evidence of financial compensation has been made public, the lack of transparency, combined with repeated ethical violations and political alignment, point to serious concerns. Whether she was paid or not, her role has ultimately served the UAE’s interests more than those of the EU citizens she was elected to represent.
Urgent Call for Oversight
Maria Grapini’s case should trigger a broader institutional review. There is a need for stringent rules requiring mandatory disclosures of all foreign-sponsored activities, along with enhanced monitoring of MEPs’ external engagements. The European Parliament must act swiftly to close these gaps—before its integrity is further eroded by foreign influence operations masked as friendly cooperation.
If left unaddressed, such covert diplomacy risks turning the Parliament into a battleground for foreign powers rather than a defender of European democracy.
