Rules to protect democracy, people and planet

The document criticizes the European Commission's perceived imbalance in engagement, noting that corporate representatives and business associations account for 69% of meetings with Commissioners' cabinet members, compared to 16% for NGOs. It argues that the 'Antwerp Declaration' serves as a roadmap for dismantling climate and social protections in favor of industrial competitiveness. The authors highlight that European firms in energy transition sectors distributed €1.6 trillion to shareholders between 2010 and 2023, suggesting that public subsidies for these industries are unnecessary. The letter demands a shift toward evidence-based lawmaking that prioritizes the 'Polluter Pays Principle' and protects citizens from 'forever chemicals (PFAS)' and pesticide pollution.

• The European Commission's engagement is heavily skewed toward corporate interests, with 40% of meetings of Commissioners' cabinet members being with company representatives and 29% with business associations, while NGOs account for only 16%.
• The authors claim the EU is pursuing a systematic rollback of environmental and social protections, using the Antwerp Declaration as a 'shadow roadmap' to prioritize corporate concessions over democratic safeguards.
• Between 2010 and 2023, European firms in key energy transition sectors generated €2.1 trillion in net profit and distributed 75.3% of that amount, totaling €1.6 trillion, to shareholders.
• The document warns that 'Omnibus' legislative packages are being used to weaken laws and reduce business accountability under the guise of boosting competitiveness, often lacking scientific evidence or impact assessments.

APA

ClientEarth (n.d.). Rules to protect democracy, people and planet. https://www.clientearth.org/media/qrqb0a4g/open-letter-pro-regulation-declaration.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Rules to protect democracy, people and planet. n.d. https://www.clientearth.org/media/qrqb0a4g/open-letter-pro-regulation-declaration.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Rules to protect democracy, people and planet |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/qrqb0a4g/open-letter-pro-regulation-declaration.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearthndrules, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Rules to protect democracy, people and planet}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/qrqb0a4g/open-letter-pro-regulation-declaration.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }