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28 Jul 2017

Ombudsman asked to investigate refusal to publish legal advice on the legal basis for EU lobby register

2018-11-13T10:03:18+01:00

Madrid/Brussels, 28 July 2017 – With upcoming negotiations on reforming the state of EU lobbying transparency imminent, the legal advice given to the Commission and Council on the legal basis for lobby reform is back under the spotlight following appeals this week to the EU Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly. Access Info Europe's and MEP Dennis de Jong's parallel complaints to the EU watchdog challenge the refusals by the two institutions to make transparent their legal advice on whether or not it’s possible under the EU Treaties to set up a mandatory EU lobby register with sanctions. “Civil society and MEPs are

Ombudsman asked to investigate refusal to publish legal advice on the legal basis for EU lobby register2018-11-13T10:03:18+01:00
17 Mar 2017

Parliament inaction on lobby transparency could sink register reform

2018-11-13T10:03:40+01:00

[Article first published by the ALTER-EU] Madrid/Brussels, 17 March 2017 - The European Parliament must do more to improve lobby transparency, 100 civil society organisations urged in an open letter published today. MEPs were warned that the European Commission's current proposal for a revised EU Transparency Register would allow for even less scrutiny than the existing one, and that to champion greater transparency across all EU institutions, they must start with their own house first. A few weeks before Commission, Parliament and Council are expected to start negotiating a revision of the joint EU Transparency Register, the Alliance for Lobby

Parliament inaction on lobby transparency could sink register reform2018-11-13T10:03:40+01:00
27 Jul 2016

Madrid City Adopts Strong Transparency and Lobby Regulation Rules

2018-11-13T10:04:00+01:00

Madrid, 27 July 2016 - The Madrid City Council today approved one of the most progressive sub-national transparency regimes in Europe, encompassing proactive publication on a broad scale, the right to request information, including via anonymous requests, and a strong lobby regulation that requires the registration of lobbyists before they meet with public officials. Welcoming the new package of open government measures, Access Info Europe noted that the holistic approach to transparency sets a standard not only in Spain but across Europe and globally, particularly since the Madrid City Hall is a member of the Open Government Partnership sub-national pilot

Madrid City Adopts Strong Transparency and Lobby Regulation Rules2018-11-13T10:04:00+01:00
6 Jun 2016

Access Info defends citizens’ right to know as part of lobby transparency reforms

2018-11-13T10:04:10+01:00

Madrid, 6 June 2016 – Access Info Europe has called on the European Union and the Council of Europe to ensure that future lobby control rules that both are in the process of developing are fully in line with The International Standards for Lobbying Regulation. In submissions to separate public consultations held by the EU and Council of Europe, the pro-transparency organisation underscored the need for lobbying regulation to ensure that full information on the activity of lobbyists is both recorded and published. In response to the EU consultation Access Info proposed EU institutions keep better records of interactions with

Access Info defends citizens’ right to know as part of lobby transparency reforms2018-11-13T10:04:10+01:00
23 May 2016

Give the Commission your views on EU lobbying!

2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00

This article was originally published by ALTER-EU. Brussels, 23 May 2015 - Do you want to see more transparency about who is lobbying who in Brussels and the EU institutions? Are you angry about the privileged access that corporate lobbyists get to EU decision-makers, whether it be on TTIP, tobacco, climate, regulation, digital rights...? The European Commission is consulting about how to improve the EU lobby transparency register with a view to revising and improving the current set-up. The consultation process is far from perfect, and the extent of the Commission's future ambition is not yet clear, but nonetheless, the

Give the Commission your views on EU lobbying!2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00
18 Apr 2016

Will Timmermans really shed light on lobbying in Brussels?

2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00

This article was originally published by ALTER-EU. Brussels, 18 April 2016 - Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans' launch in March of a consultation to improve the EU lobby register came seven months late. Does it herald a genuine step forward towards improved lobby transparency in Brussels? A database of organisations working to influence EU legislation, the European transparency register was designed to boost the image and integrity of the institutions. The Commission's latest moves to reassess the tool are welcome, however campaigners and veterans of such processes would be forgiven for being a little weary at the thought of yet another

Will Timmermans really shed light on lobbying in Brussels?2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00
22 Mar 2016

Member state offices in Brussels wide open to corporate lobbyists

2018-11-13T10:04:12+01:00

Brussels/Madrid, 22 March 2016 – Corporate lobbyists enjoy widespread access to member state representations by exploiting loopholes in EU transparency rules according to the first ever study on lobbying activities at national government offices in Brussels.[1] The study, ‘National representations in Brussels: open for corporate lobbyists’ by the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU), reveals how these government missions to EU institutions are a target for big business lobbyists looking to promote their agendas. Vicky Cann, Corporate Europe Observatory, said:“This report demonstrates that there is a worrying level of corporate lobbying directed at the EU's permanent representations. These

Member state offices in Brussels wide open to corporate lobbyists2018-11-13T10:04:12+01:00
15 Feb 2016

Lobbying Regulation: An Ongoing Question For Spain

2018-11-13T10:04:12+01:00

This article was originally published by ALTER-EU. Madrid, 15 February 2016 - Lobbying is currently not regulated in Spain, and despite the entry into force of the new access to information law, it is still almost impossible for the public to find out who is influencing which decision-makers, with what means, and to what effect. This is despite the eruption of new political parties, such as Podemos and Ciudadanos, which have helped to introduce into the political agenda issues of conflicts of interest caused by unregulated lobbying and the revolving door phenomenon. The lack of regulation and transparency around lobbying

Lobbying Regulation: An Ongoing Question For Spain2018-11-13T10:04:12+01:00
17 Dec 2015

Civil society expose holes in EU lobby transparency rules

2018-11-13T10:04:24+01:00

This post was originally published by ALTER-EU. Madrid/Brussels, 17 December 2015 - Research by ALTER-EU member groups Corporate Europe Observatory, Access Info Europe and Friends of the Earth Europe shows that well over 90 per cent of meetings between DG FISMA (the Commission's department for financial regulation) officials not covered by transparency rules and lobbyists are with the corporate sector. Since the end of 2014, following an initiative by new European Commission President Juncker, the meetings of commissioners, their cabinets and directors-general with lobbyists are published online. This transparency initiative has enabled the public to see which lobbyists get most

Civil society expose holes in EU lobby transparency rules2018-11-13T10:04:24+01:00
10 Apr 2015

Seeking Sign-ons for Letter to European Commission on Lobby Transparency

2018-11-13T09:46:34+01:00

Madrid, 10 April 2015 - The Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU), which Access Info participates in as a Steering Committee member, is seeking sign-ons from civil society organisations for a letter to European Vice-President Frans Timmermans, as part of our campaign to improve lobbying transparency in Brussels. The EU has a voluntary lobby register that covers the European Parliament and European Commission. The register is meant to tell us who the EU's lobbyists are; who they are working for; how much they spend on influencing policy; and what specific dossiers they lobby on. Yet the lobby register

Seeking Sign-ons for Letter to European Commission on Lobby Transparency2018-11-13T09:46:34+01:00
Original content developed by Access Info Europe and is made public under a Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike licence.