Tag: lobby

Plans to establish a joint register of lobbyists for the European Parliament and the European Commission were yesterday (19 April) backed by the EU assembly's constitutional affairs committee. MEPs also called on the Council of Ministers to join Brussels' new 'transparency register'.

Public affairs professionals transform data and information into electrical impulses that travel from one decision centre to another, setting in motion the muscles of society that enable change and ensure the stability and smooth functioning of democratic systems, writes Luis Aguado Alba of Mas Consulting in an award-winning essay presented at the European Public Affairs Consultancies Association's 2011 AGM.

The European public was yesterday (13 October) invited to nominate the 'worst EU lobbyist' of 2010 in a contest that organisers hope will encourage policymakers to defend public rather than corporate interests. 

Talks between MEPs and the European Commission on improving the transparency of EU decision-making will resume on 6 May, European Parliament Vice-President Isabelle Durant announced yesterday (26 April). Meanwhile transparency groups called for the establishment of a mandatory lobby register common to all EU institutions by 2014. 

Participants in the European Commission’s lobby register should declare expenditure on lobbying Council presidencies and permanent representations of EU member states, the EU executive said yesterday (28 October), presenting tighter financial disclosure requirements as part of a wide-ranging review of the scheme. But transparency campaigners criticised the revision for failing to fix "fundamental flaws".

Not enough law firms or think-tanks have signed up to the European Commission’s lobby register, Administration and Anti-Fraud Commissioner Siim Kallas said on Tuesday (8 September).

Lobby transparency is unlikely to be a priority for the Swedish EU Presidency given that the appointment of a new European Commission and ratification of the Lisbon Treaty will have to be dealt with under Stockholm's watch, the executive director of the European Centre for Public Affairs, Tom Spencer, told EurActiv.

The European Commission yesterday (22 June) declared the first year of its lobby register a success ahead of an internal review next month. But officials admitted that more bodies would have to sign up for the scheme to paint a "full picture" of lobbying in Brussels.

The European Commission last week (4 June) hinted at possible changes to its lobbyists register ahead of a review in July. The development comes as the register is set to celebrate its first birthday.

Green MEPs have described last week's announcement by the EU institutions that they had reached agreement on a common lobby register as no more than a "poorly-disguised public relations exercise" ahead of the European elections. The claims were utterly refuted by the European Commission.

More think-tanks should sign up to the European Commission's voluntary lobbyists register, Administration and Anti-Fraud Commissioner Siim Kallas said last week (17 April), arguing that they play a clear role in the EU policymaking process. His claims were angrily refuted by think-tank representatives.

Sweden's "strong stated commitment" to transparency presents a good opportunity for the Council to review its "so far hesitant attitude" to the EU executive's lobbyists register during the country's upcoming EU presidency, Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas told public affairs professionals last week, revealing that he had written to the Swedes to urge progress towards a register common to all three institutions.

German Socialist MEP Jo Leinen yesterday (27 January) expressed optimism that a lobbyists' register common to the European Parliament and the EU executive can be drawn up. But it may have to wait until after European elections in June, he cautioned.

The European Commission has launched an investigation into newspaper allegations that a top official gave sensitive information to reporters posing as representatives of Chinese businessmen, it announced yesterday (8 September).

As the European Commission's upcoming voluntary lobbyists register occupies the mind of every lobbyist in Brussels, some have started to question exactly how many of them there are, casting doubt over the 15,000 figure originally put forward by the EU executive.

The European Parliament is widely expected to approve a landmark report on lobbying during its Brussels plenary session next week (8 May), representing a key moment in the drive to improve the transparency of the EU institutions and the estimated 15,000 lobbyists who seek to influence them.

As the number of lobbyists operating in Brussels continues to increase, there are growing calls for their access to the Commission and Parliament to be regulated via a common register, writes former Parliament rapporteur on lobbying and new Finnish foreign minister Alexander Stubb for Europe's World.

Public authorities should make a new commitment to reach the outsiders among minority interests and the 'silent majority' to prevent lobbying from becoming a "monopolising channel of influence towards the EU institutions", according to EU citizens' association ECAS.

Public voting for the 'Worst EU Lobbying Awards' opened online on Monday (15 October). The award will be given to the lobby group that in 2007 has employed "the most deceptive, misleading or otherwise problematic lobbying tactics in their attempts to influence EU decision-making".

The Society of European Affairs Professionals (SEAP) reiterated its commitment to promoting transparency in EU lobbying and a voluntary registry, but highlighted a number of "potential pitfalls" that the group wishes the Commission to avoid.  

In an interview with EurActiv, Elizabeth Crossick of Freshfields says she does not see the point in disclosing the fees law firms are paid to carry out lobbying tasks for their clients. This, she argues, would do little to deter potential improper behaviour.

Lobby watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory proposes an online 'virtual tour' of the EU quarter in Brussels just weeks before the Commission kicks-off a public debate on how to improve transparency in EU policy-making.

Christophe Leclercq founder of EurActiv.com writes in this Politik und Kommunikation article about measures taken against the behaviour of pressure groups.

Registration should be made mandatory for all lobbyists across the board, including NGOs, argues corporate accountability campaigner Paul de Clerck of Friends of the Earth.