UE Council: sponsorship of the Presidency is a matter for the Member State

Reply, 14.5.2019.
The organisation of the Presidency, including a decision to seek sponsorship for elements of the Presidency, is a matter for the Member State authorities concerned. It is not for the Council to reply to questions that are the responsibility of its Presidency.

Question for written answer E-001085/2019 to the Council

27.2.19

Dennis de Jong (GUE/NGL)

Subject: Coca-Cola's sponsorship of Romania's Presidency

According to the website of the Romanian Presidency of the Council, Coca-Cola is a ‘platinum partner’[1]. Various civil-society organisations are concerned that the Council of the European Union may be subject to influence (foodwatch.org[2], corporate europe observatory[3]). The European Parliament recently adopted a resolution on transparency of legislative discussions in the preparatory bodies of the Council of the EU (17 January 2019, 2018/2096(INI)[4]). 

• What is the total value of Coca-Cola’s sponsorship of Romania’s Presidency of the Council?
• What privileges does the status of ‘platinum partner’ confer on Coca-Cola?
• Have the agenda and the policies discussed during Romania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU remained free of influence by Coca-Cola despite the sponsorship, and how can this be proven?

[1]      https://www.romania2019.eu/partners/   

[2]      https://www.foodwatch.org/en/what-we-do/topics/sugar-fat-and-salt/more-information/coca-cola-is-sponsoring-the-eu/  

[3]      https://corporateeurope.org/power-lobbies/2019/02/captured-states  

[4]      http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P8-TA-2019-0045+0+DOC+XML+V0//NL