Brussels, January 31 – The European Parliament today approved a measure which would for the first time oblige influential Members of European Parliament (MEPs) to list their scheduled meetings with lobbyists. The amendment applies to MEPs who draft policy reports and chair committee
Nina Katzemich from ALTER-EU member group Lobbycontrol welcomed the vote, saying:
«This is a positive step towards making politics more transparent and clear. For the first time, we will be able to glimpse into who is seeking to influence the Parliament on specific issues. A small step forward but already a great victory for transparency.»
Margarida Silva from ALTER-EU member group Corporate Europe Observatory said:
«Now, the European Commission must restart the negotiations on the EU lobby register right away. President Juncker has promised it to EU citizens and there is a lot of work to be done in just a few months. We hope that the three institutions will power through and deliver a better register. »
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
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Members of the European Parliament voted down amendment 20 of the Rules of Procedure which read as :
« Members should publish online all scheduled meetings with interest representatives falling under the scope of the Transparency register. Without prejudice to Article 4(6) of Annex I, rapporteurs, shadow rapporteurs and committee chairs shall, for each report, publish online all scheduled meetings with interest representatives falling under the scope of the Transparency register. The Bureau shall provide for necessary infrastructure on Parliament's website.
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The vote was held in secret at the request of the European People’s Party.
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The European Commission has suspended the inter-institutional agreement process to reform the EU lobby transparency register as the European Parliament and Council were not willing to committ themselves to any binding rules.
Contact:
Margarida Silva, margarida@corporateeurope.org, +32 2893 0930
Nina Katzemich, nina.katzemich@lobbycontrol.de, +49 179 509 3022