EU agrees to set up register of lobbyists

Transparency advocates at Alter-EU, the campaign group, also say information about how much clients pay lobbyists is far too opaque because, in many cases, the size of clients only has to be declared in very broad financial bands. Erik Wesselius described the move to create a common register as a “missed chance”.

“The common lobbying register still has very serious shortcomings . . . All registered lobbying organisations should be obliged to provide more comprehensive and reliable information on their lobbying activities. The information . . . should be checked regularly, through random “spot checks” by the administration,” he said.