Policy prescriptions

2.2. Pharmaceutical industry trade associations
Pharmaceutical industry trade associations are alliances of
big companies, and those that are active at EU level have
together dramatically increased their level of reported spending
on lobbying by €5.4 million in the last three years.
PHARMA TRADE ASSOCATIONS SPEND
INCREASE 2012-2015
At least 18 pharmaceutical industry trade associations –
both pan-European and national – can be found in the
Transparency Register, together spending a declared maximum
of nearly €7.7 million representing their members
interests at EU level (as of 11/04/15). 61 This is a big increase
from 2012 figure, declared as a maximum of €2.3 million. 62
These 18 trade associations together currently declare 68.5
full time equivalent lobbyists, and have a combined 24 lobbyists
accredited for passes to the European Parliament.
€2.3
million*
€7.7
million *
The 18 associations identified include the eight biggest
spending European pharmaceutical industry trade associations
that were identified in our 2012 Divide & Conquer report.
Together, these eight European pharma associations
now declare spending nearly seven times more than three
years ago. Between them, they hold 14 Parliamentary access
passes.
JAN 2012
* maximum declared spend in the Transparency Register
APRIL 2015
Some of the biggest pharma trade association spenders
however are national (rather than European) associations.
For example, for 2014, France’s LEEM declares €200,000 to
€299,999, Germany’s VFA declares €250,000, and Belgium’s
pharma.be declares €225,000 on EU lobby expenditure (as
of 11/04/15).
TOP 8 EUROPEAN PHARMA TRADE
ASSOCIATIONS DECLARE 7 FOLD
SPENDING INCREASE
The United States’ largest pharma industry body,
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
(PhRMA), continues to remain absent from EU lobby register,
despite documented evidence of its lobbying at EU
level. This includes considerable access to the European
Commission, particularly on EU-US trade agreement TTIP
(see Section 4).
Commission lobby meetings with pharma trade associations
€0.92
million*
€6.76
million *
Access to documents requests have revealed that of all
the pharma trade associations, EFPIA has had by far the
most meetings – over 50 – with relevant Commission
departments since the Juncker Commission started office
on 1 November 2014 (to mid-March 2015). However, other
pharma associations listed in the Transparency Register
are also playing an active part meeting with the Juncker
Commission:
JAN 2012
APRIL 2015
* maximum declared spend in the Transparency Register
The eight European pharma associations declared a lobby expenditure of a maximum
€921,900 in January 2012, but as of 11/04/15 they declare a combined maximum
expenditure of €6.76 million.
Policy prescriptions Pharmaceutical industry firepower: Lobby expenditure, meetings and expertis 15