"The recent cash-for-amendments scandal highlighted that a softly-softly approach towards EU lobbying transparency does not work," said paul de Clerck of Alter-EU, a transparency pressure group.
Without tougher reporting standards, the group said, companies and lobby groups would continue to low-ball the estimates of the money they spend on influencing the legislative system. They gave the example of Colipa, the cosmetics industry lobby outfit, which reported that they spent just €50,000 in 2008, yet they maintain a staff of 20 lobbyists and support workers in Brussels.
BusinessEurope, the association representing the interests of the biggest industries in Europe and perhaps the most influential corporate lobbying group in the city, recorded that it spent between €550,000 and €600,000, a figure Alter-EU says is also unrealistically low.