Parliament VP: ‘Be careful tightening transparency measures’
European Parliament Vice-President Rainer Wieland has warned against the negative impact of new lobbying transparency measures, saying they could seriously hamper the institution's work.
View ArticleLobbyist representative: Best facts, not big bucks, win lobbying campaigns
The European Transparency Register, the EU's database for lobbyists, is currently under scrutiny as it set to be reformed by the end of 2013. Above all, the register needs more resources and to get rid...
View ArticleTransparency review to ‘make life difficult’ for Brussels lobbyists
In its review of the transparency register, the EU will propose new ways to penalise lobbyists who refuse to disclose information about their methods, but divisions over mandatory registration still...
View ArticleParliament VP: If you want true lobby policing, you need more resources
A review of the EU’s Transparency Register, due to be completed in December, has highlighted divisions on key issues such as the compulsory registration of lobbyists. Rainer Wieland, a German MEP...
View ArticleEU lobby register on track to becoming mandatory
A working group appointed to review the EU's transparency register has proposed a set of practical changes to the current database and called for making registration for lobby organisations mandatory...
View ArticleEU lobbyist register to become mandatory by 2017
Lobbyists trying to influence EU policymakers will soon have to disclose details on their budget and methods, after the European Parliament approved tougher rules and called on the Commission to make...
View ArticlePhilip Morris tops NGOs’ lobbying spending table
Tobacco giant Philip Morris was the company that spent the most money on lobbying the EU last year, according to data compiled by civil society organisations.
View ArticleEU’s voluntary-lobbyist-registration policy belies its calls for transparency
Developed countries often lecture states in the developing world about transparency. So it seems the height of hypocrisy that the European Union is not requiring lobbyists to register, writes Giorgi...
View ArticleEU Community launches new tool for relevant experts [Sponsored]
On 29 January, EURACTIV's flagship innovation project EU Community, presented the beta version of its first tool: EurActory.
View ArticleBusiness and the struggle between climate and profit
Business lobby groups use their influence to hold back EU legislation on climate change. The authors of a recent study believe this should force companies to reconsider their priorities. EURACTIV...
View ArticleNGOs demand Timmermans make good on mandatory lobbying register
One hundred and twelve organisations sent a letter to European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans today (11 May) asking for stronger rules on lobbying transparency.
View ArticleTop TTIP lobbyists come into view
The ten most active groups lobbying EU institutions on TTIP are out in the open. Statistics released today (24 June) reveal some of the big spenders meeting with European Commission leaders on the...
View ArticleTrialogues: What goes on behind closed doors?
As a young institution, it is important that the European Parliament acts swiftly to make trialogue talks more democratic before they become ingrained as a tradition, argues Carl Dolan.
View ArticleEuropean institutions split over lobbying black list
The European Parliament is considering revoking the accreditation of certain big business lobbyists. But the Commission has no such plans. EURACTIV France reports.
View ArticleTimmermans: Transparency is needed to ‘reconnect with sceptical citizens’
Frans Timmermans claimed on Monday (2 May) that the EU was a world leader in trade transparency, as he called for a compulsory register of lobbyists in Brussels.
View ArticleWatchdog opens inquiry into Commission advisers
Emily O'Reilly opened an investigation into how the EU executive hires special advisers for Commissioners.
View ArticleEU transparency register fails to restrain lobbyists
Legal firms have been operating in Brussels for years without registering wtih the EU's transparency register, a new study has revealed. However, it seems likely that the European Commission will...
View ArticleHungary asked Kremlin lobbyist to airlift Oettinger to Budapest
The Hungarian government yesterday (17 November) explained that EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger's controversial flight to Budapest on board a Kremlin lobbyist's private jet took place as part of...
View ArticleWho is lobbying for lobbyists? [Sponsored]
To ensure that no group gains an unfair advantage over the others, it is crucial that consultations are carried out in full transparency.
View ArticleDoes corruption threaten Europe?
Current debate rarely attributes the rise of populism in European politics to the perceived prevalence of corruption. Yet public opinion often shows that citizens believe their representatives to be...
View ArticleTop lobbyists split over mandatory transparency registers
The many different transparency requirements across the EU are a minefield for lobbyists and lawmakers alike. Mandatory and voluntary systems both have their own advantages, but neither has been able...
View ArticleThe Brief: Juncker dresses down Commission’s Davos dozen
Jean-Claude Juncker is “not a great fan” of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the European Commission said today.
View ArticleLobby transparency reform: Here we go again
Scandals from Dieselgate to tobacco, glyphosate to high finance, have contributed to widespread public cynicism over the power of lobbyists in the EU. Campaigners are facing the upcoming EU lobby...
View ArticleMore transparency needed to tackle corporate capture
Two years after Dieselgate put the issue of corporate capture into the limelight, EU institutions have the perfect opportunity to get tough on lobbying, through a comprehensive reform of the EU lobby...
View ArticleIt’s high time the Council joins the EU’s Transparency Register rules
The Council of the European Union is one of the most important institutions involved in the EU’s decision-making process. But despite a ruling by the highest EU court and increased demands from civil...
View ArticleA new definition of lobbying would be unnecessary and risky
The Commission wants to redefine lobbying during the upcoming revision of the EU lobby transparency register so that it only relates to direct contacts with EU decision-makers, allowing certain...
View ArticleBalancing secrecy and openness, the EU strives for transparency
EU laws go through a roller-coaster of opacity, with lawmaking only becoming visible in some parts of the process. But a new regime could extend this transparency from conception to birth.
View ArticleThe biggest loophole in the Commission’s lobby transparency efforts
Extending the “no registration, no meeting” rule from the Commission elite to lower-level officials would at once improve lobby transparency and protect civil servants. But the Commission has been...
View ArticleHubner: The European Union is more transparent than national governments
Compared to the national governments of the member states, the European Union is ahead of the curve when it comes to transparency, former Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner told EURACTIV in an...
View ArticleEU Ombudsman asks Council to join transparency register
The European Ombudsman has asked European Council President Donald Tusk to consider publishing information about meetings he and his cabinet hold with interest representatives, in line with the EU's...
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View ArticleTimmermans: Increasing transparency on lobbying will boost credibility of...
European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans insisted on the need to implement full transparency about lobbying in all European institutions, including the Parliament and the Council, at a...
View ArticleCommission urges Parliament, Council to move on transparency
The European Commission is unhappy with the lack of progress in negotiating its proposal for a mandatory transparency register with the European Parliament and Council and has urged the Parliament to...
View ArticleTransparency and better regulation in the EU [Promoted content]
SEAP organised an event focused on the importance to the EU business sector of an effective and robust transparency system operating within the EU institutions.
View ArticleMEPs to decide whether to make lobbying meetings public
MEPs are set to decide on Thursday (31 January) whether to make their meetings with lobbyists public. The centre-right has secured a secret ballot on this issue. EURACTIV France reports.
View ArticleGovernments must increase transparency on lobbying, says anti-corruption group
EU governments must increase their transparency and accountability on lobbying, said the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) of the Council of Europe in an annual report published on Thursday (2...
View ArticleRegistered MEP-lobbyist meetings just tip of iceberg, warns transparency group
The nearly 30,000 registered meetings between MEPs and lobbyists over the last three years are just the tip of the iceberg, transparency campaigners have said.
View Article‘Qatargate’ scandal casts light on ‘untouchable’ EU lawmakers
As a corruption scandal rocks the European Parliament, lawmakers and campaign groups say a lack of asset declarations, little reporting on contacts with third countries and barely any sanctions created...
View ArticleNGOs warn that EU’s foreign agents law could ‘silence critical voices’
Civil society groups have urged the European Commission not to table new rules that would require NGOs to disclose if their funding comes from outside the EU, in a letter to European Commission...
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