ALTER-EU assessment of European Parliament – Commission agreement on a common “Transparency Register”

Six years after the launch of the European Transparency Initiative, there’s still a long way to go to reach the goal of transparency around the role of lobbying in EU decision-making. European Union citizens, members of the European Parliament and journalists have the right to know which stakeholders are trying to influence the policy process in Brussels and what resources they are using to shape decisions that affect EU citizens directly. Ending secrecy around lobbying is essential to restore confidence in the EU institutions and improve the functioning of European democracy. Only a mandatory system of lobbying registration, providing extensive and reliable information on EU lobbying, will effectively address this problem.