Brussels, 03/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The draft agreement between the European Parliament (EP) and the European Commission on setting up a “transparency register” to replace the current “lobby register” received a warm welcome from the EP constitutional affairs committee on Tuesday 1st February. MEPs called on the Council, too, to join the register and expressed their hope that registration should eventually be made compulsory. The new register should be available online in June 2011.
“With the new register, our citizens can have more trust in the decision-making process”, said EP Vice-President Diana Wallis (ALDE, UK). “Real progress has been made here, but there are some things that puzzle me. Our own preference is to have a mandatory register, but will we have the power to enforce it?” asked Andrew Duff (ALDE, UK). Wallis replied that the ultimate goal was to have a compulsory register.
During the debate, many MEPs suggested that the joint register should also include anyone lobbying the Council of Ministers. “It would send a good signal to the citizens if we had a mandatory system which included all three institutions”, argued Matthias Groote (S&D, Germany). Wallis replied that the discussions were still in progress, and that “by June, we might be able to have a joint register which includes all three institutions”.
The register covers all activities carried out with the aim of influencing the decision-making processes of the EU institutions. Anyone from the media, think-tanks, companies, contractors or grass-root initiatives who enter the institutions is invited to register. Long-term access cards to Parliament's buildings will only be issued to organisations or individuals who have been registered.
Registration of churches and lawyers was a separate issue in the negotiations on the new rules between Parliament and Commission. The agreement says that lawyers need not register when they are providing legal or other professional advice to a client, and that churches as such do not need to register, although the institutions and networks representing them are expected to do so.
By registering, organisations agree to publish not only basic information, but also information on their activities in the EU institutions, as well as financial figures on activities falling within the scope of the register. At the same time, they agree to act in compliance with the code of conduct of the EU institutions. If EP access badges are misused, or used in a way that does not comply with the code of conduct, then they may be withdrawn for a certain period of time. The aim of the new joint transparency register is to offer a “one-stop shop”, both to registering organisations and to all citizens wishing to know who is engaged in lobbying activities. In this way, people can see the full range of stakeholders who contribute to EU decision-making discussions and policy implementation.
The next steps: Parliament's rapporteur on the issue is Carlo Casini (EPP, Italy). The constitutional affairs committee is expected to vote on the transparency register in April, and the plenary in May. If adopted, the register should be up and running by June 2011. (L.C./transl.rt)