[mstef]

a few years ago i was maintaining lobbyfacts. ama

[willtemperley]

Is there a way to see breakdown of exactly what a company is paying lobbyists, either directly or via a consultancy? It's currently a lot of manual work searching for e.g. Amazon and looking at the eleven trading names that lobby the EU via a multitude of consultants.

[nathan_phoenix]

What constitutes lobby costs?

Also why do some organizations have relatively big lobby costs but no EP passes or meetings with EC? Does that mean that they are less "effective" than their peer lobby organizations?

[mstef]

lobby costs is a self reported value based on their spending on lobbyings, including for example staff, office rent, events, etc.

not having ep passes or meetings with the ec, only means less direct contact, or possibly having outsourced this contact.

[vanderZwan]

Did you ever get any feedback from journalists and researchers using it?

[mstef]

yes, back in the days CEO (Corporate Europe Observeratory https://corporateeurope.org/) alter-eu (https://www.alter-eu.org/), and a bunch of other NGOs where using (and also sponsoring it). But it is also well known by the OCCRP people (one of whom actually started the whole thing).

[pudo]

hello sir :-P

[mstef]

haha. hello OG