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BackThis week, the European Parliament voted on the new EU Transparency Register. Following lengthy negotiations, the European Parliament (EP) and the EU Commission agreed on a joint Transparency Register. It replaces the previous register of lobbyists of the EU Commission. Each organisation and each individual person wishing to make a contribution to EU policy has to register therein. The intention is to make the register available online in June.
Registration in the EU Transparency Register is only de facto mandatory
The European Parliament was the first EU institution, which introduced a register of lobbyists as early as 1996. The EU Commission only launched its register of lobbyists in June 2008. In November 2008 already, the European Parliament and the EU Commission established a high-calibre joint team to set up a joint central register of lobbyists. The Council did not deem it necessary to participate! Two years later, sufficient progress had been made for the team to accept the draft of an agreement on setting up a Transparency Register. The objective of the EP was to establish a mandatory EU Transparency Register. Unfortunately, it would now seem as if registration is only de facto mandatory, as only registered lobbyists are granted permanent access to the premises of the EU Parliament.
Activities of the trade unions excluded from the scope
The new EU Transparency Register contains detailed information as to who has to and who is not required to register. For example, activities of the social partners as participants in the social dialogue are excluded from the Register’s scope. Churches, religious communities, political parties, local, regional and local authorities too do not fall under the scope, unless they maintain offices and networks, which were created to represent them when dealing with EU bodies. In that case they are expected to register. In future, the register will also include information about the organisations itself. For example, they will have to provide details concerning the most important legislative proposals they were involved in during the past years. Apart from that financial issues most also be disclosed, such as the overall budget of all activities, which come under the scope of the register but also financial means, which were received from EU bodies. Interesting is the demand of the EP to create a system, based on which the meetings of all lobbyists with a lead member of the Parliament in relation to a specific legislative proposal have to be mentioned in an explanatory statement, which is attached to the report or the recommendation on the draft of the relevant legislative act. This would create a “legislative footprint”, which would enable to track the involvement of lobbyists in reports in the EP. However, the practical implementation will not be easy.
Breaching the code of conduct might result in access to the European Parliament being withdrawn resp. being removed from the register
Having access to the European Parliament is a vital aspect of the work of lobbyists as nowhere else is it so easy to meet MEPs or to take part in committee meetings. The new EU Transparency Register now provides that in case of breaching the code of conduct access to the European Parliament might be withdrawn. Of course only in cases where the code is persistently breached against and behaviour does not change. In this case, a temporary removal from the register might also be on the agenda. One can only hope that the new register is a further step towards greater transparency in European institutions, which will hopefully contribute to an increased legitimacy of the project Europe by her citizens.
Further information:
Press release of the EP on the EU Transparency register
Report on the EU Transparency Register
Stellungnahme der AK: Konsultation zum Entwurf eines Verhaltenskodex für Interessenvertreter (Lobbyistenregister) (German Only)
The European Parliament was the first EU institution, which introduced a register of lobbyists as early as 1996. The EU Commission only launched its register of lobbyists in June 2008. In November 2008 already, the European Parliament and the EU Commission established a high-calibre joint team to set up a joint central register of lobbyists. The Council did not deem it necessary to participate! Two years later, sufficient progress had been made for the team to accept the draft of an agreement on setting up a Transparency Register. The objective of the EP was to establish a mandatory EU Transparency Register. Unfortunately, it would now seem as if registration is only de facto mandatory, as only registered lobbyists are granted permanent access to the premises of the EU Parliament.
Activities of the trade unions excluded from the scope
The new EU Transparency Register contains detailed information as to who has to and who is not required to register. For example, activities of the social partners as participants in the social dialogue are excluded from the Register’s scope. Churches, religious communities, political parties, local, regional and local authorities too do not fall under the scope, unless they maintain offices and networks, which were created to represent them when dealing with EU bodies. In that case they are expected to register. In future, the register will also include information about the organisations itself. For example, they will have to provide details concerning the most important legislative proposals they were involved in during the past years. Apart from that financial issues most also be disclosed, such as the overall budget of all activities, which come under the scope of the register but also financial means, which were received from EU bodies. Interesting is the demand of the EP to create a system, based on which the meetings of all lobbyists with a lead member of the Parliament in relation to a specific legislative proposal have to be mentioned in an explanatory statement, which is attached to the report or the recommendation on the draft of the relevant legislative act. This would create a “legislative footprint”, which would enable to track the involvement of lobbyists in reports in the EP. However, the practical implementation will not be easy.
Breaching the code of conduct might result in access to the European Parliament being withdrawn resp. being removed from the register
Having access to the European Parliament is a vital aspect of the work of lobbyists as nowhere else is it so easy to meet MEPs or to take part in committee meetings. The new EU Transparency Register now provides that in case of breaching the code of conduct access to the European Parliament might be withdrawn. Of course only in cases where the code is persistently breached against and behaviour does not change. In this case, a temporary removal from the register might also be on the agenda. One can only hope that the new register is a further step towards greater transparency in European institutions, which will hopefully contribute to an increased legitimacy of the project Europe by her citizens.
Further information:
Press release of the EP on the EU Transparency register
Report on the EU Transparency Register
Stellungnahme der AK: Konsultation zum Entwurf eines Verhaltenskodex für Interessenvertreter (Lobbyistenregister) (German Only)