ALTER-EU letter to chairman of European Parliament: European Parliament’s reaction to ‘cash-for-laws’ scandal; proposals for better ethics regulation and lobby transparency.

We call for an investigation into all the second jobs currently held by MEPs and the urgent development of strict rules for second jobs, including a ban on all jobs that involve lobbying or otherwise lead to conflicts of interest. [...] Current scandals underline the need for a high-quality, mandatory lobbying transparency register. If lobbyists had to declare their activities, it would be easier to identify when the system was being abused. The new joint Commission and Parliament register which will be launched in the summer is likely to include a larger share of lobbyists, but as it remains voluntary many will continue to lobby without being registered. The weak disclosure obligations moreover will continue to give lobbyists ample opportunities to stay out of public scrutiny. We therefore encourage the Parliament to go further and introduce a mandatory lobby transparency system with far more comprehensive and reliable information, before the next elections in 2014.