By Brian Johnson - 18th July 2005
The influence of corporate lobbyists is undermining the EU’s decision making process, warns a new Brussels based ethics group.
The Alliance for Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU), a coalition of over 140 civil society groups believes that rules surrounding lobbying are non existent and are calling for radical changes.
The group is advocating a mandatory system of registration and reporting for all EU lobbyists and enforceable ethical rules for lobbyists.
Commenting at the launch of the alliance on Tuesday, Erik Wesselius of lobbyist watchdog, Corporate Europe Observatory, said that big-money lobbying has the potential to “compromise the democratic process.”
“The existing voluntary codes of conduct developed by the lobbying firms in Brussels fail to ensure transparency about who lobbies the EU and on whose behalf,” said Wesselius.
“The increase of deceptive lobbying practices, such as pseudo-NGOs established to advocate industry positions, is another reason why transparency and ethics around lobbying cannot be left to voluntary initiatives."
The European Commission also came under fire to end the practice of ‘privileged access’, where business interests enjoy a high level of undue influence with senior EU officials.
ALTER-EU want to see an improved code of conduct for European Commission officials that will remedy the so called ‘revolving doors’ process, where former high ranking EU staff end up on the payroll of industry lobbyists.
"The public pays a heavy price for the big-money lobbying that goes on in Brussels, since legislation to improve health and the environment loses out every time,” said Jorgo Riss of Greenpeace European Unit.
Aggressive lobbying techniques are thought to have tipped the balance during the European Parliament’s recent debate over the software patent directive, with many MEPs calling the actions of a number of lobbyists “misleading.”
The launch of ALTER-EU comes on the back of plans by anti-fraud commissioner Siim Kallas to increase openness and accessibility of the EU institutions.
“We are launching the new coalition to support Commissioner Kallas in his efforts to improve transparency around lobbying”, said Paul de Clerck, corporate accountability campaigner with Friends of the Earth Europe.
Kallas welcomed the group’s comments adding that his European Transparency initiative launched in March had already received “enormous interest.”
The Estonian commissioner said that his specially set-up advisory group was working on both technical issues and legal aspects, ahead of their report due in October.
Kallas will produce more concrete commission proposals in the form of a Green Paper by the end of the year.
But the commissioner warned that a mandatory system may not be applicable.
“What is needed is more visibility [of lobbyists], who is doing what…and this means registration…but this commission has adopted an approach on [producing] less regulation.”
“If done on a voluntary basis I would be happy.”
Brussels has an estimated 15,000 lobbyists.
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