Madrid, 1st August 2025 – Access Info Europe is delighted to announce that the winner of the 2025 Helen Darbishire Award is The Forever Lobbying Project. This cross-border investigation exposed how the chemical industry lobbied against EU action on PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals”, linked to ongoing environmental and public health risks.
Now in its second year, the Helen Darbishire Award celebrates outstanding efforts to advance human rights, environmental protection, anti-corruption, and democratic accountability through the use of the right of access to information.
Cross-border collaboration, international impact
Led by Le Monde, and supported by 46 journalists across 16 countries and 29 media partners, The Forever Lobbying Project gained access to over 14,000 internal documents. A third of the documents (4,796) were obtained through 184 access to information requests made to public bodies at both EU and national levels across Europe.
These documents now constitute the world’s largest archive on PFAS lobbying, publicly available for scrutiny. The investigation based on these documents reveals how corporate actors deployed misleading and fear-driven narratives to influence EU decision-makers to delay or dilute proposed PFAS restrictions. This is of major public interest, as PFAS are a family of over 10,000 man-made chemicals that are almost indestructible without human intervention, are persistent in living organisms, humans included, and have been linked to a dozen illnesses.
By stress-testing the arguments found in the lobbying materials, the investigation exposed tactics long used by powerful industries – including tobacco and fossil fuels – to block regulation. It also revealed the potential cost of inaction: if PFAS emissions remain unchecked, Europe could face a staggering €2 trillion clean-up bill over the next two decades.
The investigation’s findings were published in a coordinated series of reports in national media outlets across Europe and beyond. They have been cited by NGOs, policymakers, and the European Parliament in discussions on regulatory reforms, underlining the power of transparency to drive change.
“Access to information is not just a legal right – it’s a tool for environmental justice. By exposing how industry lobbyists sought to shape EU policy behind closed doors, the Forever Lobbying Project has strengthened democratic accountability and sparked public debate on a threat that endangers ecosystems, human health, and future generations”.
— Rachel Hanna, Director of Access Info Europe
“We are 46 journalists who feel very honoured to receive this award. Transparency was at the core of our investigation, and we are especially grateful to Corporate Europe Observatory for leading the EU access-to-documents efforts. PFAS contamination is the worst pollution crisis in human history. It deserves special attention and accountability. We hope our work serves the communities most affected, strengthens civil society efforts, and equips policymakers with the facts they need to act. Because knowledge is power”.
— Stéphane Horel, Le Monde and Co-Ordinator of the Forever Lobbying Project
You can read more about the project here. Representatives of the project will be invited to speak about its impact at this year’s Open Government Partnership summit in Spain, attended by a global audience of journalists, civil society, and transparency advocates.
Access Info Europe congratulates the team behind The Forever Lobbying Project and commends the other two exceptional finalists – A Thousand Billion in Responsibility and Wombs for Hire – for their courageous work using access to information to shed light on opaque systems and defend human rights.