Apple He has had a total of 257 meetings with EU politicians and officials since June 2024. According to the latest analysis by The Fin newspaperancAccording to the European Times, which is based on the European Transparency Register, the apple giant spends around nine million euros a year on lobbying activities in Brussels. This amount easily exceeds the combined spending of large European corporations such as Total, Volkswagen and Airtogether.
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Tech giants at the top of the rankings
American corporations use their influence in Brussels primarily to defend against strict digital rules. In the frequency of personal meetings with European officials Apple among technology companies, it is only behind Google, which has managed to organize 302 meetings since the last European Parliament elections. Not far behind is Amazon with 239 meetings, which places it in fourteenth place overall. However, the absolute leader in the number of meetings is the non-governmental environmental organization WWF with 431 meetings. In terms of total financial expenses, Apple surpasses Meta, whose annual lobbying budget in the EU exceeds ten million euros.
Pressure on technological sovereignty
The increased activity of American companies in Europe is related to the Union's efforts to achieve so-called technological sovereignty and reduce dependence on foreign technologies. In addition to European regulatory efforts Donald Trump in the past, it has repeatedly responded by threatening to impose retaliatory tariffs. Company representatives Apple a Amazon In their official response to the published report, they stated that they only discuss with European policymakers topics that are crucial for their customers and the smooth running of their business. The lobbying costs are not surprising. In recent years, the EU has often imposed significant fines on large companies. For example, AppIn the past, a "band-aid" was imposed in the amount of half a billion.
