AMAZON TO FACE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HEARING IN LATE JUNE TO REGAIN ACCESS

Amazon representatives are expected to be questioned by the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) in late June. This hearing is a precondition for the tech giant to regain access to Parliament premises, sources familiar with the matter told Euronews.

Amazon lost its 14 long-term access badges to the Parliament in February 2024, following a request from the EMPL committee. MEPs called for this measure after the company failed to attend a series of hearings and factory visits in 2021 and 2023 concerning workers' rights.

Amazon Declined Invitations to Discuss Working Conditions

The EMPL committee is likely to confirm the hearing date and speakers in early June. Last November, the European Parliament stated that Amazon must participate in a hearing and arrange for MEPs to visit one of its fulfillment centers before it would consider lifting the restrictions.

During its previous five-year term, the EMPL committee twice invited Amazon to discuss working conditions at its EU facilities. However, in May 2021 and January 2024, the company declined these invitations. Planned visits to facilities in Poland and Germany, scheduled for December 2023, also never materialized.

In a previous statement, Amazon affirmed that it takes its responsibilities to Parliament and other institutions "seriously" and agreed "that a company like ours, with over 150,000 employees in the EU alone, should be subject to scrutiny."

"We also believe it is important to examine the entire sector beyond individual companies, and that sessions are aimed at understanding facts and not just making political points," the statement read.

What do you think the outcome of this hearing will be for Amazon's access to the European Parliament, and what broader implications might it have for tech companies lobbying in the EU?