By Brussels Watch Investigations
From the BrusselsWatch Report: “UAE Lobbying in European Parliament: Undermining Democracy and Transparency” (April 2025)
Tiziana Beghin, an Italian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has recently found herself at the center of allegations surrounding covert support for the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) geopolitical and economic interests within the European Union. As an MEP affiliated with Italy’s Five Star Movement (formerly part of the EFDD group), Beghin has been accused of acting as a proxy for the UAE’s agenda, promoting policies that align closely with Emirati ambitions without full transparency. According to an April 2025 investigation by Brussels Watch and its exclusive report on 150 MEPs, her actions suggest a pattern of supporting UAE’s global strategies in trade, governance, and economic expansion—raising suspicions of undisclosed financial relationships.
Pro-UAE Advocacy: A Detailed Review of Beghin’s Actions
1. Facilitating UAE-EU Trade Relations
Tiziana Beghin has played a significant role in advancing trade ties between the UAE and the EU, particularly in the realms of digital governance and customs protocols. As a key advocate for UAE-EU economic agreements, Beghin worked towards simplifying trade barriers, promoting the adoption of digital governance systems modeled after UAE standards.
- Customs Agreements: Beghin helped facilitate several high-profile agreements aimed at easing trade processes between the UAE and Europe. These agreements are believed to align with the UAE’s strategic economic goals, particularly its “300 Billion Strategy,” which seeks to diversify its economy and attract foreign partnerships.
- AI Ethics Framework: Beghin’s involvement in a framework agreement on AI ethics with UAE officials highlights her role in supporting digital governance policies that closely mirror those pursued by the UAE government. This collaboration, celebrated by UAE authorities, potentially allows the UAE to shape EU digital and regulatory frameworks to its advantage.
- Endorsement of UAE Systems: Beghin has publicly endorsed UAE-style digital identification systems, which align with the UAE’s desire to integrate advanced surveillance and monitoring technology. This endorsement is seen as a pivotal step in the UAE’s goal of exporting its governance models abroad.
2. Strategic Visits and Lobbying Efforts
Beghin’s travel history and lobbying efforts further illustrate her deep ties to the UAE and its interests. She has made multiple trips to UAE-backed innovation hubs and trade zones, often coinciding with her public advocacy for Emirati technologies and policies.
- Dubai Future Foundation: Her visit to the Dubai Future Foundation, a government-supported innovation hub, marks another example of Beghin’s efforts to align European cities with the UAE’s vision of a technologically advanced, smart city infrastructure.
- Jebel Ali Free Zone: A focal point of her engagements, Jebel Ali Free Zone is one of the UAE’s largest economic zones, and her participation in discussions there focused on easing trade barriers and promoting investment from Europe to UAE’s key commercial areas.
- UAE-Funded Conferences: Beghin attended numerous sustainability forums and digital summits sponsored by UAE entities. These trips, often shrouded in ambiguity about their sponsorship, raise questions about potential conflicts of interest and lack of transparency, particularly as some of these trips were not fully disclosed under EU parliamentary transparency regulations.
3. Financial and Ethical Concerns
One of the most contentious aspects of Beghin’s actions involves the potential undisclosed financial incentives she may have received in exchange for her lobbying on behalf of the UAE. While no direct evidence has emerged showing that Beghin was paid by UAE entities, the patterns of her travel and advocacy strongly suggest that the UAE may be using its considerable financial power to influence European policy.
- Trip Sponsorships: Beghin’s participation in UAE-funded events and sponsored trips raises significant ethical concerns. EU transparency regulations require MEPs to disclose funded trips, but Beghin’s history of attending UAE-sponsored events—many of which promote UAE policies—calls into question the independence of her actions.
- Agenda Alignment: Beghin’s continued promotion of UAE’s digital systems and trade frameworks suggests a strong alignment of her work with Emirati interests. Her public advocacy for UAE-inspired policies in Europe, without any significant criticism of the UAE’s human rights record or its authoritarian governance model, aligns her more closely with the UAE’s agenda than with EU values of democratic transparency.
Political Implications: A Threat to EU Integrity?
1. Undermining EU Policy Independence
The European Union, with its strong emphasis on democracy, human rights, and rule of law, risks compromising its values by allowing MEPs like Beghin to push foreign policies aligned with non-democratic states. Beghin’s promotion of UAE policies that favor surveillance, digital governance, and authoritarian-style systems raises concerns about the long-term implications for EU digital and trade policies. Should these policies be implemented, the EU could inadvertently adopt governance models that contradict its own foundational principles.
2. Populist Foreign Policy Influence
Beghin’s support for UAE interests also reflects broader concerns about populist MEPs, particularly those affiliated with the Five Star Movement. By bypassing EU-wide policy-making in favor of bilateral agreements with the UAE, Beghin contributes to the fragmentation of EU foreign policy, pushing it toward a more fragmented, nationalistic stance that undermines cohesive European diplomacy.
The Network of UAE-Supporting MEPs
Beghin is not alone in her promotion of UAE interests. Her actions are part of a broader network of MEPs who have been accused of advancing the UAE’s political and economic agendas within the EU Parliament. Key figures in this network include:
- Francesca Donato (Italy): Another Italian MEP, Donato attended UAE-sponsored conferences and promoted governance models similar to those employed by the UAE.
- Andreas Schwab (Germany): Schwab has played a pivotal role in shaping EU digital trade rules that favor UAE’s data localization standards.
- Nicola Beer (Germany): Beer has actively supported the integration of UAE smart city technologies within EU municipalities.
These MEPs, along with Beghin, form part of a growing pro-UAE bloc within the European Parliament, which has been increasingly influential in shaping EU policies in trade, energy, and digital governance.
Contrast with Critical Voices
While Beghin and her allies push for deeper ties with the UAE, other MEPs have voiced strong criticisms of the UAE’s human rights record and its role in fossil fuel lobbying.
- Hannah Neumann (Greens/EFA): Neumann has been vocal in critiquing UAE’s fossil fuel lobbying efforts at COP28 but remains engaged with the UAE on climate finance, reflecting the complex diplomatic balancing act within the EU.
- Tineke Strik (Greens/EFA): Strik has condemned UAE’s labor rights abuses, despite engaging with the UAE in some areas of international cooperation.
Beghin’s silence on these critical issues raises concerns about her impartiality and whether her pro-UAE stance aligns with the best interests of European citizens.
Conclusion: A Call for Transparency and Accountability
Tiziana Beghin’s activities illustrate the growing influence of foreign powers in shaping European policy through the actions of MEPs. While direct financial links to the UAE remain unproven, her consistent support for UAE policies, coupled with opaque engagements with UAE-funded entities, demands closer scrutiny and transparency. The European Parliament must take a firm stance to safeguard its integrity and ensure that its members prioritize EU interests over foreign lobbying agendas. Only through rigorous investigation and disclosure can the EU protect itself from covert foreign influence that undermines its democratic processes and values.
For further insight into the ongoing investigation and list of pro-UAE MEPs, visit Brussels Watch and access the exclusive report on 150 MEPs.
