EU agrees to set up register of lobbyists

Publication date: 
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Author: 
Nikki Tait
Media title: 
Financial Times

The opacity that surrounds lobbying activity in Brussels will clear slightly next month after European Union lawmakers agreed on Wednesday to establish a single, common register of interest groups seeking access to the institutions.

Excerpt: 

Transparency advocates at Alter-EU, the campaign group, also say information about how much clients pay lobbyists is far too opaque because, in many cases, the size of clients only has to be declared in very broad financial bands. Erik Wesselius described the move to create a common register as a “missed chance”.

“The common lobbying register still has very serious shortcomings . . . All registered lobbying organisations should be obliged to provide more comprehensive and reliable information on their lobbying activities. The information . . . should be checked regularly, through random “spot checks” by the administration,” he said.