Brussels lobbyists to come under tighter scrutiny[de] 

Commissioner Siim Kallas has announced the launch "in the course of spring" of a far-reaching programme to improve the accountability of EU decision-makers and the transparency rules affecting the thousands of Brussels lobbyists seeking to influence them. 

Speaking on 3 March at the European Foundation for Management in Birmingham (UK), Kallas said "the issue of integrity should not be limited to public institutions" and should also cover interest groups of all sorts including lawyers, professional lobbyists and NGOs. 

"People are allowed to know who they are, what they do and what they stand for," Kallas said, noting that there is currently "no mandatory regulation on reporting or registering lobby activities".

In reference to the self-regulatory code of conduct developed by the Society of European Affairs Practitioners (SEAP), he said:  "Registers provided by lobbyists' organisations in the EU are voluntary and incomprehensive and do not provide much information on the specific interests represented or how it is financed. Self-imposed codes of conduct have few signatories and have so far lacked serious sanctions."

Kallas was equally critical about the lack of transparency rules for NGOs. Pointing out that over 2 billion euros per year are channelled through them to help the developing world, he described the word 'Non' in Non-Governmental Organisation as "quite fictitious". 

He said the forthcoming Commission initiative will also seek to improve NGO transparency "by improving the current registry of NGOs". "It should also contain financial information," he added.

Siim Kallas' initiative on lobbying transparency is raising eyebrows at the Society of European Affairs Practitioners (SEAP). Speaking to EurActiv, SEAP's head Rogier Chorus said he was "a bit puzzled" by the move since SEAP presented a strengthened lobbying ethics code only weeks ago (see EurActiv 18 Feb. 2005). He says he is surprised by Kallas's declarations concerning the "lack of serious sanctions" of self-regulatory codes of ethics. "We've dealt with that," he claims. "He [Siim Kallas] was not aware of it I guess." 

Chorus is also sceptical at the suggestion that lobbyists should disclose their client's identity and the amounts of money they are being paid to perform their task. "I wouldn't accept that at this stage," he commented, adding that the Commission should "do its homework" and clean its own house first by making officials "less vulnerable to bribes". "The important thing is that money is not used to bribe people," Chorus says.

Lobbying watchdog and campaign group Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), welcomed Kallas' transparency initiative as "good news for democracy in Europe". It claims EU lobbying disclosure rules are "urgently needed in the light of the growing corporate influence over EU policy-making". CEO has continuously criticised the lack of "any meaningful form of transparency" in EU lobbying directed at the European Commission or Parliament.