BXL Consulting
BXL is a consulting firm that has worked with British American Tobacco (BAT) on its "social reporting process" and CSR initiative in Brussels, including the BATresponsibility.eu website.[1] It was co-founded in 2004 by the former EU commissioner for health and consumer protection, Pavel Telička, an example of a TPD: Revolving Door Cases. BXL provides consultancy in EU affairs, mainly to large companies.
Contents
A "PR Achievement"
In its report on BAT's lobbying in Brussels, the EU-lobbying watch-dog, Corporate Europe Observatory, (CEO) pointed out "One of BAT’s greatest PR achievements was recruiting former EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection Pavel Telička,TPD: Revolving Door Cases, as ‘facilitator’ of its so-called “EU social reporting sessions”. Telička is also a former ambassador and head of Czech mission to the EU with 20 years' experience in Brussels. [2]
According to CEO, Telička conducted three “group dialogue sessions” and a number of individual in-depth interviews with EU “stakeholders” on behalf of BAT". The dialogue sessions brought together people to focus on issues such as public place smoking; “harm reduction”; smuggling and counterfeit products in order to “encourage in-depth discussion of each topic and the central dilemmas facing society and tobacco companies like British American Tobacco”. The “stakeholders” identified by BAT were the Commission; the Parliament; the Council (through permanent representations to the EU), public health experts, NGOs, business organisations, think tanks and other bodies. Health groups boycotted the process. [2]
CEO complained to the European Commission that Telička and BXL Consulting were involved in lobbying for BAT in 2006-2007 but did not declare that money in 2007. It said that,
- The job Mr Telička accomplished undoubtedly facilitated BAT’s lobbying. His involvement was clearly part of ‘activities carried out with the objective of influencing the policy formulation and decision-making processes of European institutions’...organizing events, meetings or promotional activities (in the offices or in other venues) in support of an objective of interest representation.” [3]
People
- Pavel Telička - co-founder and later described as partner and director of BXL's Brussels office.[4]
Lobbying and PR Firms
- BXL was listed as a client of Bell Pottinger Public Affairs in November 2011. [5]
TobaccoTactics Resources
External Resources
- British American Tobacco, Social Report 2006/2007
Notes
- ↑ BAT, BATresponsibility.eu, website, last accessible date May 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Corporate Europe Observatory, Obscured by the Smoke - British American Tobacco’s deathly lobbying agenda in the EU, June 2009, Accessed August 2011
- ↑ Cited in 'The smoke filled room: How big tobacco influences health policy in the UK', Report by ASH, p37 May 2010
- ↑ British American Tobacco, Social Report 2006/2007, accessed 5 April 2012
- ↑ PRCA Public Affairs Register to Nov 2011