EU: Corporate Corruption Controls

Dear friends,

It's outrageous -- over half of top European Union politicians move straight from their posts into lucrative corporate  lobbying jobs -- turning the EU into a "lobbyocracy" run by big  business, not the people.
 
The European Parliament is up in arms and has just threatened to withhold EU budget money until a new code of conduct is introduced to block officials  rushing to become lobbyists. In a few days parliamentarians will meet to hear  the Commission's proposals, but they need support to force a decisive change.
 
This is a chance to clean up Brussels, but it will take a massive public  outcry. The grip of big business on EU decisions subverts our democratic priorities, from agriculture to climate to energy. Click to sign the  petition -- which will be delivered to top decision-makers at a meeting in the  Parliament -- and forward this email to friends:
 
  http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_lobby_rules/?vl
 
The "revolving door" between the European Commission and the  lobbyists fuels corruption, as officials compete for the fattest pay cheque  when they leave office and then put their relationships and influence to work  for the highest bidder.
 
The recently resigned EU Industry Commissioner has already joined the boards of  4 large firms -- and set up his own EU lobbying company! And, months  before she left office, another European Commissioner accepted a position with  a giant insurance company which had a direct interest in decisions she was taking.
 
Such new jobs are supposed to be vetted by the Commission. But the secret