Letter to Rainer Wieland MEP on lobby register reform

Publication date: 
Monday, November 25, 2013
Author: 
ALTER-EU steering committee
Executive summary / policy recommendations: 

ALTER-EU's priority demands for the review of the lobby register are as follows:

1. Mandatory lobby register with a timetable announced for transition to new register by 2015
2. Transitional measures during interim period, such as Commission to refuse to meet unregistered lobbyists
3. Tough action to tackle non-compliance by law firms, such as a demanding that they should register, disclose their clients and confirmation that they will not receive special treatment
4. Improved investigation capacity and enforcement of rules, such as checking all new entries and random spot checks on older entries
5. Improved complaint mechanism, such as a quicker process and tougher penalties for breaches
6. Improved lobbyists' code of conduct, including clarity over terms such as “inappropriate behaviour”
7. Improved lobbyists' code of conduct, such as a ban on lobbyists contracting and / or paying MEPs and assistants
8. Improved financial disclosure, such as a requirement to declare per client lobby expenditure in band-widths of €10,000
9. Improved funding disclosure, such as a requirement to declare all sources of funding + amounts
10. Improved lobby issue disclosure, such as a requirement to declare precise information on key legislative proposals worked on
11. Improved staff disclosure, such as a requirement to declare names of all staff undertaking lobby activities and any history these staff have within the EU institutions
12. Improved up-to-date information to be provided on fixed dates, a requirement to declare lobby expenses (from the previous year) and client lists (from the previous six months)
13. Full transparency on all lobby work, such as a requirement to declare any law firms or lobby consultancies employed for lobbying purposes and membership of coalitions etc
14. Proactive transparency, such as the Commission to provide comprehensive information online about all

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