The agreement between EU institutions on the lobby transparency register got a mixed reception from Transparency International EU on Tuesday, 8 December. This register will be applicable to all three EU institutions (see EUROPE 12617/20).
Transparency International is pleased that the joint register will, for the first time, also include the Council of the EU. Transparency International EU’s Vitor Teixeira explained to EUROPE that Member States’ Permanent Representations to the EU have committed to only meet with lobbyists who have been registered in the transparency register during their EU Presidencies (including incoming Presidencies of the Council).
This association also believes that the “ambitious” objective was to create a mandatory transparency register. “But we don’t have that”, criticises Vitor Teixeira.
In order for this register to be mandatory, all those involved in the legislative process would have been required to only meet with pressure groups listed in the register.
According to Vitor Teixeira, MEPs are, in fact, free to accept meetings with lobbies that are not in the register. This is also the case for the staff of the Permanent Representations (below the level of the two permanent representatives).
According to Mr Teixeira, there should have been an obligation to publish meetings with lobbies as well. In the European Parliament, only rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs are required to publish meetings.
Mr Teixeira lamented, “The majority of MEPs are not obligated to be transparent” in this area. He noted that 50% of MEPs already voluntarily publish their meetings with pressure groups. Transparency International notes that the agreement stipulates that each institution is free to set its own rules on interactions with lobbyists.
The negotiations began back in 2016, when Jean-Claude Juncker’s Commission proposed the creation of a mandatory lobby register common to all three EU institutions. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)