As a pioneer in issues of transparency in democratic life, the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the European Union informs the public, via its website, about the meetings related to European issues that have taken place between members of the government and representatives of interest groups.
On 19 August, the Minister of Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Ville Skinnari, spoke with leaders of Volkswagen and Kesko Corporation about the future of the automotive industry. The next day, the Minister for European Affairs, Tytti Tuppurainen, met with the Finnish Federation of Technology Industries and then the National Confederation of Trade Unions (SAK). In July, three other meetings were reported.
But it is impossible to know if this list is exhaustive (See: http://bit.ly/2jXzP0W ).
Asked by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs about Finland's action on legislative transparency at European level, Ms Tuppurainen stressed on Tuesday 3 September that the Finnish Presidency was voluntarily complying with the current rules of the European Transparency Register by publishing information on the meetings between Finland's Ambassador to the EU, Marja Rislakki, and her deputy, Minna Kivimäki.
"Our Permanent Representative and Deputy Permanent Representative only meet with registered interest representatives" in the European Transparency Register, she argued.
Managed by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this website, available in Finnish and Swedish, does not seem to be regularly updated. The last meeting attended by Ms Kivimäki was on 7 March, while the most recent meeting involving Ms Rislakki was on 18 December 2018 (see: http://bit.ly/2kgYSMP ).
On Tuesday, MEPs supported Finland's commitment to transparency and asked the Presidency to reactivate negotiations on the reform of the European Transparency Register.
This dossier had not been completed in the previous legislature due to differences of approach between the three European institutions on the scope of the reform and the desirability of including it in an institutional agreement (see EUROPE 12231/6).
The Commission wants people holding political office in the three institutions to meet only lobbyists registered in the register, a rule it also applies to itself. The European Parliament refuses to comply, asserting the freedom of mandate of MEPs, but since January 2019 it has been imposing this requirement on all rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs. In the Council of the EU, Member States highlight their autonomy in setting transparency obligations at their Permanent Representation to the EU.
Right of enquiry. Several MEPs, including Rainer Wieland (EPP, Germany), also urged the Finnish Presidency to change the Council's position on the establishment of a specific right of enquiry for the European Parliament. Criticizing the Council of the EU's lack of loyal cooperation on this point, Domènec Ruiz Devesa (S&D, Spain) pointed out in particular that a progressive Finnish government could hardly oppose such a right of enquiry, an instrument, in his view, designed to increase the transparency of democratic life at European level.
Asserting that the Council of the EU wanted a "clear" regulatory framework, Mrs Tuppurainen nevertheless referred to "serious legal concerns" among Member States. She also called for "respect for interinstitutional balance". (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)