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BackAll too often EU policy is dominated by major economic interests. This not least the doing of the large number of lobbyists asserting these interests. However, many of these activities are carried out behind closed doors, one of the reasons being that to date only a voluntary lobby register exists. Whilst the EU is in the process of evaluating the existing register, ALTER-EU (Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation) has started a signature campaign for a mandatory register.
Lobbying still taking place in the dark
About 20 000 lobbyists are currently in Brussels trying to influence European policy. However, nobody knows exactly how many there are as there is still no mandatory register listing all lobbyists and the interests they represent.
The majority of lobbyists represent large corporations, whilst other groups such as trade unions or NGOs only have a fraction of their resources available. Whether the issue is data protection, copyright or the ever so urgent re-regulation of the financial markets, the corporations try everything to water down or stop progressive proposals or to impose their own agenda.
2011, after many years of debating and lobbying, saw the introduction of a transparency register (lobby register). The fly in the ointment: participating is voluntary. Admittedly, some organisations and lobby companies have signed up to it because participation entails easier access to the European Parliament. However, as regular checks by lobby transparency organisations show time and again, we are only taking about a fraction of the lobbyists, who are in fact acting in Brussels.
Two years into the project, Commission and European Parliament are reviewing how effective the Register is. Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and the MEP of the CDU Rainer Wieland are in charge of the working group, which has been set up (operating in camera!) for this purpose. A rather embarrassing footnote: according to media reports, Wieland himself is highly prejudiced. Apart from his activities as an MEP he also operates from his own law firm “Theumer, Wieland & Weisenburger” in Brussels, which according to their own statement “asserts both in court and out of court” the EU interests of their clients in Brussels. Wieland’s firm belongs to the large group of internationally active law firms, which offer classic lobby activities, but are consistently against being entered in the lobby register.
For a mandatory lobby register
ALTER-EU, the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation, a grouping of 200 NGOs and trade unions, including the Chamber of Labour, does not just want to stand on the sidelines and observe how, during the course of this “evaluation process” by Commission and Parliament behind closed doors, the obligation of lobbyists to sign up to the lobby register, is once again put on the back burner. That is why we call on citizens to put pressure on by signing an online petition. At least 20,000 signatures for a mandatory lobby register should give a clear message to European institutions that the citizens of Europe no longer find secret lobbying in darkened back rooms acceptable. Due to the fact that the working group of the Commission intends to present its evaluation before the end of November, there is still time to sign the petition!
The AK has been actively promoting a mandatory lobby register in Brussels for years. It is therefore a logical consequence that it supports the new petition of ALTER-EU, calling for as many people as possible to sign it. Voting online is possible until next Tuesday. Let’s take a stand for more transparency and more democracy!
Further information
Signing the petition!
ALTER-EU
Background article on law firms and lobbying
About 20 000 lobbyists are currently in Brussels trying to influence European policy. However, nobody knows exactly how many there are as there is still no mandatory register listing all lobbyists and the interests they represent.
The majority of lobbyists represent large corporations, whilst other groups such as trade unions or NGOs only have a fraction of their resources available. Whether the issue is data protection, copyright or the ever so urgent re-regulation of the financial markets, the corporations try everything to water down or stop progressive proposals or to impose their own agenda.
2011, after many years of debating and lobbying, saw the introduction of a transparency register (lobby register). The fly in the ointment: participating is voluntary. Admittedly, some organisations and lobby companies have signed up to it because participation entails easier access to the European Parliament. However, as regular checks by lobby transparency organisations show time and again, we are only taking about a fraction of the lobbyists, who are in fact acting in Brussels.
Two years into the project, Commission and European Parliament are reviewing how effective the Register is. Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and the MEP of the CDU Rainer Wieland are in charge of the working group, which has been set up (operating in camera!) for this purpose. A rather embarrassing footnote: according to media reports, Wieland himself is highly prejudiced. Apart from his activities as an MEP he also operates from his own law firm “Theumer, Wieland & Weisenburger” in Brussels, which according to their own statement “asserts both in court and out of court” the EU interests of their clients in Brussels. Wieland’s firm belongs to the large group of internationally active law firms, which offer classic lobby activities, but are consistently against being entered in the lobby register.
For a mandatory lobby register
ALTER-EU, the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation, a grouping of 200 NGOs and trade unions, including the Chamber of Labour, does not just want to stand on the sidelines and observe how, during the course of this “evaluation process” by Commission and Parliament behind closed doors, the obligation of lobbyists to sign up to the lobby register, is once again put on the back burner. That is why we call on citizens to put pressure on by signing an online petition. At least 20,000 signatures for a mandatory lobby register should give a clear message to European institutions that the citizens of Europe no longer find secret lobbying in darkened back rooms acceptable. Due to the fact that the working group of the Commission intends to present its evaluation before the end of November, there is still time to sign the petition!
The AK has been actively promoting a mandatory lobby register in Brussels for years. It is therefore a logical consequence that it supports the new petition of ALTER-EU, calling for as many people as possible to sign it. Voting online is possible until next Tuesday. Let’s take a stand for more transparency and more democracy!
Further information
Signing the petition!
ALTER-EU
Background article on law firms and lobbying