EU lobbying register to open by 2008

Brussels has called on EU lobby groups to sign up to a voluntary register of interests.

Signatories to the voluntary register - essentially a website run by the European commission - including NGOs, corporate consultancies and industry representatives will have to declare whose interests they represent and how they are funded.

Unveiling the long-awaited proposals on Wednesday, EU administrative affairs chief Siim Kallas told journalists that sanctions would be applied to those organisations providing false information, although the Estonian commissioner was unclear as to what or how any sanctions would be enforced.

Kallas defended the proposals lack of teeth arguing that he believed it was better to leave EU lobbyists to regulate themselves rather than imposing ‘top down’ laws.

“I have been studying this dossier for two years and I am still convinced this is a more workable solution than mandatory legislation,” said Kallas.

However the alliance for lobbying transparency and ethics regulation in the EU (ALTER-EU) said voluntary rules would have little effect.

“By first trying out a voluntary lobbying register, the European commission is making EU citizens wait several more years before they get effective EU lobbying transparency,” said ALTER-EU in press statement.

“EU citizens can only trust a code of lobby conduct if all lobbyists sign up, if there are credible sanctions for violating the code, and if there is an independent body monitoring compliance. The commission’s proposal falls short on all these points”.

“The commission is holding out a candle when it should be switching on the flood-lights to make lobbying in the EU transparent and open to public scrutiny,” added Jorgo Riss of Greenpeace.

Mandatory registers for lobbyists exist in the USA, Canada and in two EU member states, Poland and Lithuania.

Green MEP Claude Turmes said the system would fail unless there were sanctions.

“The approach being proposed lacks teeth, particularly when compared with other systems”.

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