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One of the tasks of the political process is to shape the basic conditions for how companies operate. Ultimately, this also determines their success. Our key message to politicians is that they ensure that these conditions promote competitiveness and innovation because BASF and its customers need to be competitive and innovative in order to remain successful. This is why we try to find viable solutions in an active and constructive dialogue with all relevant political levels. BASF welcomes the EU initiative for more transparency in policy making and a voluntary register for lobbys. In its green paper on transparency the Commission appreciates the contribution from lobbys as an indispensable source of information, be it from environmental groups, industry or other stakeholders. BASF always communicates its positions openly; the members of our liaison office in Brussels are already registered with the EU Parliament.
It is BASF policy not to make any financial funds available to political parties, members of parliament or candidates for a political office. We consider an exchange between industry and politics to be important. We have laid down the framework conditions for the voluntary social commitment of our members of staff as private persons in our regulations governing office holders. At present 350 BASF employees with an honorary office are known to us in Germany. This includes youth counsellors, church counsellors, communal councellors, members of parents associations etc. Among them are around 150 employees with a political mandate at a communal level, for example in municipal councils. One of them is member of the Parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate.
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In line with the reform of the European chemicals regulation the lobbying activities by the chemical industry and especially by BASF is being discussed. Ernst Schwanhold, head of BASF’s environmental, safety and energy competence center, comments on the lobbying discussion.  |
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