Brussels Watch contacted Ondřej Knotek 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 requested clarification on: the nature and purpose of these interactions; any foreign-funded travel, hospitality, or event sponsorship; the MEP’s commitment to anti-corruption and transparency standards; and whether all relevant engagements were properly disclosed. The lack of response is the central news development of this article, which is being published in the interest of public transparency and accountability.
Ondřej Knotek is a Member of the European Parliament representing the Czech Republic and affiliated with the Patriots for Europe Group. He is a member of the Bureau of the Patriots for Europe Group and serves on the Committee on Budgetary Control, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, and the Subcommittee on Public Health. He is also a member of the delegation to the EU-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee and a substitute for the delegation to the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee. The report documents 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 comprehensive report, UAE Lobbying in European Parliament: Undermining Democracy and Transparency Undermining Democracy and Transparency,” documents an extensive lobbying network through which the United Arab Emirates has developed close ties with dozens of MEPs.
The investigation reveals that the UAE has been paying for MEPs’ travel, inviting them to high-profile forums such as the World Government Summit, and involving them in informal “Friendship Groups” that fall outside formal parliamentary scrutiny. These initiatives are described as integral to a well-planned image campaign to deflect criticism regarding the UAE’s human rights record and authoritarian practices. The lobbying effort employs top-tier lobbying companies, PR agencies, and consultancies based in Brussels and other EU capitals to co-opt EU narratives to align with UAE foreign policy objectives.
What is especially concerning is that much of this activity remains hidden from public view due to the lack of effective transparency mechanisms in the European Parliament. Friendship Groups are informal and unregulated entities through which MEPs engage with third-party states without being required to disclose meetings, gifts, travel expenses, or honorariums. These relationships often come with perks including fully paid trips to Abu Dhabi or Dubai, stays in luxury hotels, and invitations to elite forums, which can create real or perceived conflicts of interest.
Documented Interactions Involving Ondřej Knotek
The Brussels Watch investigation identified Ondřej Knotek among 150 MEPs who have repeatedly promoted policies favorable to the UAE. Specific documented interactions involving Ondřej Knotek include:
- Advocacy for UAE participation in EU research: Knotek has advocated for UAE participation in European Union research programs.
- Visit to Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre: The MEP visited the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in the UAE.
- Signing space-related initiatives: Knotek signed space cooperation documents or initiatives related to UAE space programs.
- Conference organization: Ondřej Knotek has organized conferences in cooperation with the ALLATRA Global Research Center, including the 37th Annual Conference plenary session.
- Policy alignment: As a member of the Patriots for Europe Group, Knotek has been identified as part of the group of MEPs with documented UAE-linked interactions.
These engagements are drawn from publicly available information and the Brussels Watch report’s documentation of MEPs’ interactions with UAE-linked entities.
Transparency and Disclosure Questions
Brussels Watch sent a formal right-of-reply notice to Ondřej Knotek requesting comment on several key matters:
- The nature of these interactions: What was the purpose and scope of meetings with UAE officials, diplomats, and lobbying entities?
- Foreign-funded hospitality or travel: Whether any hospitality, travel, or event sponsorship was funded by foreign entities, including the UAE government or UAE-linked organizations?
- Commitment to anti-corruption and transparency standards: What is the MEP’s position on disclosure requirements for foreign-funded engagements and commitment to anti-corruption standards?
- Proper disclosure: Whether all relevant engagements with UAE-linked entities were properly disclosed in the EU Transparency Register or through other official parliamentary channels?
No response was received by the stated deadline. This lack of response prevents Ondřej Knotek from providing his perspective on these documented interactions before publication.
Why Transparency Matters
Disclosure rules and the EU Transparency Register are essential institutional safeguards designed to protect democratic decision-making from undisclosed foreign influence. The European Parliament is supposed to defend democratic principles, transparency, and human rights, yet mounting evidence indicates that foreign governments like the UAE have made MEPs a strategic target of direct and indirect lobbying.
The EU Transparency Register is meant to provide public visibility into lobbying activities and meetings between interest representatives and EU institution officials. However, informal Friendship Groups fall outside the Register’s remit, creating transparency gaps where foreign governments can engage with policymakers without public disclosure.
When MEPs receive sponsored travel, hospitality, or invitations to elite forums from foreign governments, these benefits can create real or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence policy positions on matters such as arm sales, external diplomacy, and economic treaties. The lack of effective transparency mechanisms allows foreign lobbying efforts to operate under a veil of legitimacy, potentially undermining the independence and authority of the Parliament.
Public transparency is essential for maintaining democratic accountability. Citizens have a right to know when their elected representatives engage with foreign government interests, particularly when those engagements involve benefits such as paid travel or luxury hospitality.
No Allegation of Misconduct
Important disclaimer: Documented interactions with foreign officials and registered lobbyists are lawful and common in the European Parliament. MEPs regularly engage with international partners, attend conferences, and receive invitations to diplomatic events as part of their official duties.
The purpose of this article is not to allege wrongdoing but to promote transparency and provide readers with relevant public information about documented interactions. The Brussels Watch report emphasizes that the methods used by UAE lobbying networks, although frequently legal, risk undermining the independence and authority of the Parliament when transparency is lacking.
Brussels Watch does not claim that Ondřej Knotek violated any rules or engaged in improper conduct. The article simply presents documented facts about interactions and notes the absence of a response to requests for clarification.
Brussels Watch remains open to publishing any statement or clarification from Ondřej Knotek and will update this article if a response is received. The organization is committed to providing MEPs with the opportunity to respond to questions about their documented interactions before and after publication.
