A new analysis by The Financial Times shows that Apple has met with EU policymakers 257 times since June 2024 and has spent between €8 million and €9 million per year on lobbying. Here are the details.
In a report released today, The Financial Times (via MacMagazine) said that “Google, Apple and Amazon each have more meetings with officials at the European parliament and European Commission than any individual European company.”
According to the report, which is based on the bloc’s transparency register and meeting databases for the European Parliament and the European Commission, Apple spends €9 million a year on lobbying in the EU capital, more than what Total, Volkswagen, and Airbus spend combined. The FT notes that Meta’s yearly lobbying spending is even higher, at more than €10 million.
American corporations have used their influence in Brussels to push back against the bloc’s digital rules, over which US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened tariffs in response to Europe seeking “tech sovereignty” to reduce its reliance on US technology.
The FT gathered data from meetings held since June 2024, when the latest European Parliament elections took place, and found that Apple met with EU policymakers 257 times during that period. That put the company second only to Google among major tech companies, with 302 meetings.
Amazon also made the top 20, ranking 14th with 239 meetings, while WWF topped the overall list with 431, confirming The FT’s analysis that “green NGOs are the most active lobbyists.”
When asked about these efforts, Apple and Amazon reportedly told The FT that “they engage with policymakers on topics that are important to their customers and their businesses.”
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Marcus Mendes is a Brazilian tech podcaster and journalist who has been closely following Apple since the mid-2000s.
He began covering Apple news in Brazilian media in 2012 and later broadened his focus to the wider tech industry, hosting a daily podcast for seven years.
