To what extent has Bolt managed to successfully lobby and affect Estonia's policy in Europe?

This case really does look like rather aggressive lobbying efforts have helped at least one company's business interests be reflected in European Union policymaking.

How ethical is something like that?

That depends on whether we look at it from the point of view of law and order or from a moral standpoint. There's the side of business ethics and to what extent meddling in policymaking is warranted. It is clear why companies do it.

But the other side is the responsibility of officials and honest and transparent public administration. It seems in this case that the good practice that one should observe when communicating with lobbyists has not been deployed, at least not in full. We could say these ethical limits have been crossed.

But, as I said, it is a matter of business ethics on the other hand.

Are we to understand it as a gray area? While lobbying is not prohibited, should we address certain vulnerabilities in a situation where a major corporation's lobbying efforts really are affecting state policy?

It is rather an extensive gray area in terms of whether good practice or laws have been violated, in terms of where to draw the line. Companies voicing where they stand and being heeded is welcome and necessary in a democracy. But where do we draw the line between that and aggressive influence activity and an attempt to steer processes in a particular company's favor?

But in this case, because the phrasing of the letter did not present it as Bolt's position – which would be entirely acceptable – but rather aimed to represent the position of the Estonian government... A case of filling in the blanks and signing it... We could say it crosses a line.

To what extent does the Council of the EU operate on the borders of that gray area?

As our colleagues from Transparency International have said on numerous occasions, what takes place in the Council, and European Parliament, especially as concerns lobbying and the revolving door effect, which is relevant also in the case of Bolt, it is a "black box" our eyes cannot really penetrate. Even if you try to look inside, you cannot get a clear picture of whose interests are behind certain activities. There is quite a lot of such machination there, and it is very difficult for ordinary citizens to divine whose interests are being represented.

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According to a report by EurActiv, mobility company Bolt lobbied aggressively and even offered to draft a letter on behalf of the Estonian government in order to push back against the EU's platform work directive.

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