Guenther Oettinger in 2012, when he was energy commissioner, shaking hands with Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. On the left is Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche. All pictured men were members of the High Level Group on the competitiveness and sustainable growth (Photo: European Commission)

EU commissioners left no paper trail on car lobby talks

EU Political

Green Economy

by Peter Teffer, Brussels,

European Commissioners Guenther Oettinger and Miguel Arias Canete met with German carmaker Daimler last year to discuss the future of EU emissions rules, without leaving any paper trail.

The meeting took place in Strasbourg on 24 October 2017, 15 days before the commission presented a legislative proposal on new CO2 emission standards.

Last month, EUobserver asked the European Commission in an access to documents reque...