Brussels, 6 June 2016 – Today, organisations representing a large cross-section of lobbyists called for strong reform of the EU’s lobby register. The joint letter, initiated by Transparency International EU and signed by EPACA, calls for mandatory rules for all lobbyists and demands greater transparency around who EU officials and politicians meet with.
“The fact that consultancies, in-house lobbyists, lawyers and the leading Transparency NGO share the same basic views on the future of the register is a great start, we very much look forward to the continued discussion with the EU institutions” said Karl Isaksson, EPACA’s Chairman.
The letter calls for all EU institutions to be covered by a mandatory lobby register, including the Council. The signatories demand that all lobbyists register, file their declarations with diligence and abide by the basic rules of the Code of Conduct.
The joint letter was drafted and signed together with the major associations representing EU public affairs professionals (SEAP), consultancies (EPACA) and lawyers (CCBE) and is supported by umbrella groups, such as the European Youth Forum and Social Platform. The demands outlined in the letter were also supported by more than 67,000 citizens from across Europe that signed an online petition.
_____________________________
More information:
The joint letter “Lobbyists for Transparent Lobbying” can be found here.
Contacts:
Transparency International EU, Daniel Freund, dfreund@transparency.org, +32 489 58 71 40
EPACA, Karl Isaksson, karl.isaksson@kreab.com, +32 2 737 69 04