| EP moves forward in the same line as the EC on lobbying - 08/05/08 |
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In the frame of the European Transparency Initiative (ETI), the European Commission (EC) will publish on June 23rd, 2008, a register and accompanying code of conduct for Brussels lobbyists. The aim of this initiative is to bring more transparency to the decision making process of the European Union (EU) Institutions.
Lobbying has been defined in the EC 2006 Green Paper as: “activities carried out with the objective of influencing the policy formulation and decision-making processes of the European Institutions”. This definition embraces public affairs consultancies, law firms, NGOs, think tanks, corporate lobby units or trade associations. Those who consider being lobbyists will be able to register on a voluntary basis as the EC decided to go for a self-regulation system for the time being. The register’s system and its success will be evaluated by the EC one year after its launch. If the self-regulation does not seem to work, a compulsory registration and code of conduct might be applied to all lobbyists. As for the code of conduct, a draft version listing the principles and rules to follow has been published in December 2007 by the EC. The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) adopted on May 8th, 2008, in plenary and by a large majority the Stubb/Friedrich report setting up a register and a code of conduct for Brussels’ 15 000 lobbyists. MEP Alexander Stubb used to be the rapporteur but as he has been appointed Foreign Minister in Finland, MEP Ingo Friedrich (Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats - EPP-ED, Germany) became the rapporteur. The European Parliament (EP) that has been actively engaged into the discussions with the EC, proposed an interinstitutional agreement on a common mandatory registration for the EP, the EC and the Council of Ministers. It should provide full financial disclosure of EU lobbying activities in Brussels. The EP has already established a code of conduct and a mandatory registration for lobbyists who wish to have a regular access to the EP facilities. There has been a register since 1996 that would then be updated in the frame of the ETI. Mr Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the EC and Commissioner for Administration, Audit and Anti-Fraud, declared in his statement on the adoption of the Stubb/Friedrich report that: “the Friedrich report gives strong support to the core elements of the Commission’s proposal”. The EC is currently considering developing a shared register with the EP.
To access the EC draft code of conduct, please click here. |
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