The most chaotic NGO in town

Hello! Welcome to EU Influence. I’m Mari Eccles, filling in for top colleague Sarah who’s taking a well-deserved newsletter break this week.

I’ve been on the health desk for the past three months after a previous life as a mobility reporter and have been mulling the key differences between these two EU policy areas. My main takeaways about health: much better gender balance at events (woo!), more people who genuinely care about what they’re working on (nice), fewer opportunities to swear in a headline (sigh), much longer silences when lobbyists go full hard-sell mode (:|), and significantly more angst about our health systems being completely screwed.

Normal service resumes next week with Sarah!

UNCIVIL SOCIETY

NOT SO QUIET QUITTING: All is not well at the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA). In what we’re hoping won’t become a regular feature of EU Influence, there has been yet another round of resignations at the NGO.

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Domino effect: After president Alice Chapman-Hatchett stood down last week — hot on the heels of the previous treasurer Claudia Marinetti leaving and amid an internal audit at the NGO over allegations of nepotism and mismanagement — there’s been another wave of departures in the past few days. And staff aren’t leaving quietly, with letters and emails full of accusations about a toxic work culture at the Brussels-based organization, one of the EU’s most established non-profits.

No confidence: A letter seen by POLITICO from board member and programs director Denis Onyango said he stood down citing a “lack of confidence” in the investigation being carried out by law firm Thales. His letter argues that the investigation is too vague and doesn’t get to the heart of some of the complaints made against EPHA (which include EPHA’s Director General Milka Sokolović having hired her husband, Aleksandar Sokolović, to head up organizational development at the NGO).

Thales told us: “We strongly deny the allegations you have brought to our attention and would like to remind that we adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards.”

Long list of concerns: Onyango questioned whether staff members would be able to influence the ongoing investigations, and accused EPHA of going into “complete defensive mode,” characterizing ex-staffers that he said had suffered “despair and depression” because of the “toxic” work environment as — in his words — “enemies.”

That’s not all: Vice president Freek Spinnewijn also resigned, according to an email seen by POLITICO, saying it was “impossible to function as a board member whilst under a cloud of suspicion.” He wrote that his “trustworthiness” has been “actively undermined by the leadership of EPHA in the last couple of months,” and said he had expressed concerns about the strategic direction and the role of the management of the organization in recent years. He also referred to a complaint made against him by the director general, saying that while he was “certain” he hadn’t made any mistakes and “always acted professionally and in the general interest of EPHA as a board member,” his role on the board was “impossible.”

Right of reply: Asked by POLITICO about the complaint, Spinnewijn said he “refutes all the allegations made against me by the director general in the strongest possible terms.” Sokolović told EU Influence that it’s EPHA’s policy “not to comment on internal HR matters,” and said that the organization couldn’t comment on the content or process of any ongoing investigations to safeguard their impartiality. 

In an internal email seen by POLITICO, EPHA president Jean-Paul Zerbib confirmed that external occupational health service Mensura was investigating alleged claims of harassment (which POLITICO understands is the complaint by Sokolović against Spinnewijn). His email also said that Mensura was conducting an investigation into the overall “psychosocial risk intervention” in the organization.

Anyone still out there?: The email also confirmed the resignation last week of board member Brian Ward, who told POLITICO he had explained his reasons internally and had “no desire to elaborate further.”

Quorum klaxon: Board meetings at the NGO are looking like pretty intimate affairs, with just three people still sitting on it.

(NOT QUITE) JOB MOVE OF THE WEEK

It’s a rare April Fools’ Day joke that actually manages to convince the internet, so spare a moment’s thought for those earnestly responding to the (fake) news that Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was on her way to becoming the next sec gen of NATO.

I’d like to smugly say we cynical reporters would never fall for this kind of thing but I’m not sure there’s a more troublesome day in the calendar of a journalist (save for that third week in July when the Commission drops a mega-package just as every official puts their out-of-office on) than April 1, as many of us know: there but for the grace of God/eagle-eyed editor go I. 

(The actual news: Kallas is backing Mark Rutte for the NATO role.)

IN THE SMOKING ROOM

TOBACCO LOBBY FUMES: The tobacco lobby is not happy with the Commission. Despite the EU executive stalling on tough new guidelines on cigarettes and vapes in public places, the industry lobby is causing a stink over one of the external consultants working on the controversial file.

No smoke without fire?: Tobacco Europe is alleging there’s a potential conflict of interest issue involving the staff on the consortium contracted by the Commission to work on its tobacco control-related actions, specifically at the lead organization, Open Evidence.

Sleuthing smokers: It has written to the EU Ombudsman about one employee it believes overstepped the mark when he attended a WHO event in Panama back in February. Images shared by the lobby with the Ombudsman, in a complaint seen by POLITICO, show Open Evidence consultant Carlos Torrado posing with activists with placards that read “say no to tobacco industry interference” and appearing in social media posts that say “#SayNoToTobacco” and “#TobaccoExposed.”

As you can imagine: That’s not gone down well with the industry lobby. Its sec gen Nathalie Darge wrote that the group is “seriously concerned that the above activities may constitute … a conflict of interest,” and said it is worried about “potential breaches of confidentiality, professional misconduct, and conflicts of interest, which could compromise the impartiality and objectivity required for the contractual work.”

Firing back: Open Evidence’s CEO Cristiano Codagnone told POLITICO that Torrado attended the event in a personal capacity and was volunteering pro-bono work, and not as an employee of Open Evidence. Torrado’s attendance “is totally unrelated to, and did not influence, the work to which the Tobacco Europe letter refers,” he said, adding that Open Evidence follows a “scientific evidence-based approach that leaves no space for personal opinions and positions.” The Commission didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Relight my fire: This is Tobacco Europe’s second attempt to raise conflict of interest issues with EU authorities. Last year, it wrote to the Commission complaining that the executive had included the anti-smoking NGO European Network for Smoking Prevention in the consortia helping DG SANTE to develop the new tobacco control measures (the Commission said contractors are asked to provide a declaration of honor with respect to an absence of conflict of interest).

Shoe on the other foot: The ombudsman told EU Influence it is looking into the complaint to see if it’s admissible (standard procedure). But this file is familiar territory for the watchdog; it was only a few months ago the ombudsman found maladministration, saying that the Commission had been slapdash in its approach to meeting tobacco lobbyists, not keeping records of the meetings and giving industry reps too much access to its officials. 

Back in actual policy land: The Commission has just signed off on Belgium’s plan to ban sales of disposable e-cigarettes with nicotine.

ROLL UP TO THE MAGICAL LOBBYING TOUR: How does lobbying actually work in the EU? Ahead of the Parliament election in June, campaign group LobbyLeaks, which was set up last year to highlight what it calls “shady” practices in the EU, is organizing a guided tour of the lobbying scene within the Brussels bubble in what promises to be the most exciting tourist event since Glasgow’s Willy Wonka experience (stale patter, I know). I’m not being harsh there — MEPs not so long ago were complaining about lobbyists pestering them in the Parliament toilets.

No, but really: The initiative will see visits to the spots in the Parliament where MEPs are being approached and “explore Big Tech’s extensive lobby network.” Bram Vranken, a campaigner at the Corporate Europe Observatory, one of the organizations behind the initiative, says the tour will make it clear “how small the EU quarter is” by showing how near the offices of the Big Tech giants are to the EU institutions, and how “interwoven” the community is.

One set of lobbyists you won’t find in the Parliament: Is Amazon’s, who have been banned after the company’s reps refused to participate in a dialog to address labor concerns with MEPs.

And who is successfully making their way into the Parliament? Russia! That’s according to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who says EU lawmakers have been paid to disseminate Russian propaganda. Full story from my colleague Pieter Haeck on that here, with an excellent overview of the implications for the upcoming EU elections from Pieter, Nick Vinocur and Eddy Wax here.

**Get ready for the third edition of the Maastricht Debate! Join us online as candidates debate 3 key themes selected by European youth; Climate Change, Foreign and Security Policy and EU Democracy. Register online here.**

MEME OF THE WEEK

Top colleague/POLITICO’s king of memes Charlie Stevens once again helped me with my Tuesday afternoon newsletter-anchor panic with this Bubble-themed delights.

COMEBACK OF THE WEEK

TONY’S COP29 BID: A former lobbyist for a major Azerbaijani gas project is pitching to help run this year’s U.N. climate talks in the Azeri capital of Baku. 

He is the future again! That dashing chancer, who also ran U.K. plc for a time, is Tony Blair. 

Things can only get Baku: With the COP travelling circus growing ever larger and more complex, governments often turn to consultancies and think tanks to provide staff and expertise to the event organizing committee. With that in mind, Azerbaijan is currently considering pitches from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), Boston Consulting Group, and Deloitte, POLITICO’s Karl Mathiesen scoops here. 

Climate eye for the gas guy: Blair is offering the support pro-bono, which is good of the (checks notes) multi-multi millionaire. But less than six years ago, he was gainfully employed helping to bulldoze environmental concerns about a massive new gas pipeline to pump Caspian Sea gas to Europe. Activists panned the project at the time as a carbon bomb, but backers now say it has been vindicated by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the need for new sources of gas. 

Even so: The involvement of all these businesses and powerbrokers with longstanding and ongoing ties to the fossil fuel economy — BCG and Deloitte have major oil and gas clients — raises conflict of interest questions, said author and consultancy scourge Rosie Collington.

**Exciting news alert! Join us on April 18 for our event "Past and Future: Shaping Europe’s Industrial Policy." Let's come together to discuss how to make the EU more competitive and support green and digital transitions in the upcoming five-year agenda. Don't miss out and register today!**

INFLUENCERS

CONSULTING & COMMS

— Stefanie Offe is now senior associate, food & ag cluster with Rud Pedersen Public Affairs, having previously worked at SME Connect. 

— Goran Gotev became associate director and head of tech cluster at Rud Pedersen Public Affairs, joining from Okta.

It’s clearly promotion season at the big agencies. 

— At Rud Pedersen Public Affairs: Nick Pawley has been promoted to account director, policy communications practice … Marie Sauzot to account manager, food & ag cluster … Anna Percolla and Michail Michalopoulos to associates.

— At APCO Worldwide: Christoph Mielke is now a deputy managing director. Grégoire Zammit is taking over as the lead of the health practice from Mielke. Tommaso Astazi, Luva Barberis, Valeiro Moneta and Lydia Shotton have been promoted to senior consultants. Dania Boecker has been promoted to senior research manager. Emese Toth, Augustin de Trogoff and Julian Gray have been promoted to consultants. Emmanuelle Deroubaix has been promoted to office manager.

— At Dentons Global Advisors: Noam El Mrabet, Marine Faure, Nicolas Gyss and Cyrille Mai Thanh have been promoted to associate partners. William Dello Stritto, Julia Grinsnir, Eleni Vasileiou  and Mădălina Iamandei have been promoted to directors. And Louise Pilot, Beatrice Rus and Jean-Marin Schlaich have been promoted to senior associates.

— At FTI Consulting: Claudia Plasencia, Paula Salinas and Ieuan Pugh have been promoted to senior consultants; Danesh Kermabon-Haq and Ryan Murray have been promoted to directors; and Vittorio Allegri has been promoted to senior director.

— Atli Stannard has been promoted to special counsel at Covington & Burling LLP.

ENERGY

— Sophia Haywood has been elected as the new chair of the European Advanced Biofuels Coalition, succeeding Erich Cuaz of Clariant who will remain on the board of the Advanced Biofuels Coalition. Haywood is the head of advocacy & communications for Dimeta. 

FINANCIAL SERVICES

— Eoin Sheanon starts as the head of the Central Bank of Ireland’s EU representative office in Brussels. He was previously with Ireland’s department of foreign affairs and trade.

INDUSTRY

— Quentin de Hults has been promoted to director general of the European Copper Institute in Brussels, which becomes the International Copper Association Europe.

SUSTAINABILITY

Astrid Schomaker, director for green diplomacy and multilateralism at the European Commission’s environment department, was appointed Thursday as the new executive director of the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). She takes over from David Cooper, who had been interim executive director since February 202

ERRATUM: Last week’s edition misidentified the chair of the Cool Heating Coalition. He is Davide Sabbadin.

THANKS TO: Carlo Martuscelli, Karl Mathieson, Aoife White, Clothilde Goujard, Elisa Braun, Charlie Stevens, Louise Guillot, Fiona Lally, Gregorio Sorgi, and especially Sarah Wheaton and Ketrin Jochecová; web producer Natália Delgado and my editor Paul Dallison.

**A message from European Round Table for Industry (ERT): As the European elections approach and many in the EU keenly await Professor Mario Draghi’s report on Competitiveness, what can be done to improve the business case for operating and investing in the EU? ERT’s latest Benchmarking Report brings together 38 KPIs and shines a light on the current state of play of Europe’s competitiveness vis-à-vis its global peers and competitors. What are our strengths and where do we have to do better, across the landscape of key issues: EU Single Market – Technological Leadership – Regulatory Environment – Digital Transformation and the Green Transition? Find out the answers here.**

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