Lawmakers seek Amazon visit, hearing before restoring lobby access

Amazon must attend a hearing and organise a visit for MEPs to one of its fulfilment centres before the European Parliament will consider lifting restrictions on the tech giant’s access to its premises, key lawmakers decided today according to sources familiar with the issue. 

Political party coordinators in the Employment Committee (EMPL) today considered restoring Amazon’s access to the Parliament after the tech giant’s lobbyists’ privileges were revoked last February, but sources told Euronews it will not be an “automatic decision”.

During its previous five-year mandate, the committee twice invited Amazon to discuss working conditions in its EU facilities. But in May 2021 and January 2024, the company declined the invitations. Planned visits to facilities in Poland and Germany scheduled for December 2023 also never took place.

As a result, lawmakers – who wanted to discuss the working conditions of Amazon staff – decided to withdraw access badges of the company’s 14 lobbyists, a move welcomed by more than 30 trade unions across Europe. 

On 10 October, Amazon’s Director of EU Public Policy James Waterworth wrote to the chair of the EMPL, Li Andersson, reiterating the company’s desire to support the committee’s work, and renewing an invitation to visit Amazon facilities.

A spokesperson for Amazon said in an earlier statement sent to Euronews that “We want to reassure our customers and European policymakers that we seek to find a way to resolve the concerns of committee members”.

“It is our sincere hope that we can continue to engage with MEPs proactively and amicably, as we have done for more than a quarter of a century,” the spokesperson said.

On today’s decision, Oliver Roethig, Regional Secretary of UNI Europa, said: “Earlier this year, Amazon’s lobbyists were banned from the European Parliament for refusing to face democratic scrutiny. Now, as the company asks for a dialogue again, we commend EU lawmakers setting clear and strict conditions for a parliamentary fact-finding mission and a hearing. Crucially, this includes listening to workers’ representatives and trade unions to paint a full pictures of what is going in Amazon’s warehouses.”