This Thursday, Members of the European Parliament are due to vote on a rule that, if adopted, would for the first time create a binding obligation for MEPs writing reports and chairing committtees to disclose their lobby meetings.
The lobbying world of Brussels continues increasing. There are now more than 7,000 lobbyists with European Parliament accreditation. That means, almost 10 lobbyists per MEP.
It is no surprise then that at several occasions in the past four years MEPs complained they were the target of extreme lobbying pressure.
Adopting mandatory disclosure of lobby meetings for those MEPs that have special responsibilities (and are especially lobbied) is a small step forward for the MEPs, but it would already deliver a much better understanding of who is lobbying the Parliament, on whose behalf and with what objectives.
Lobby transparency is essential for journalists and citizens to be able to understand who influences EU politics. But it is also a tool for the MEPs that have to interact with lobbyists almost daily.
It seems almost self-evident. Yet, we know this vote will be tight. To be approved it requires an absolute majority. Already at the committee level, the rule was approved but only with a 11-10 majority.
Since then, journalists have exposed that MEPs of the European People’s Party (EPP) plan on demanding for the vote on transparency to be done in secret! This means MEPs would be able to vote down the amendment without having to be accountable.
We need your help to ensure that MEPs know that this vote is important. We have been working with colleagues accross Europe to ensure you would be able to easily tell your MEP to vote for lobby transparency.
If you support lobby transparency and want to tell your MEP to vote, you can :
-
Send an email to your MEPs using Democracy International’s tool : https://www.democracy-international.org/email-your-meps
-
German residents can contact their MEPs using Lobbycontrol’s German tool : https://www.lobbycontrol.de/2019/01/aktiv-fuer-lobbytransparenz-in-der-eu/#pk_campaign=20190125&pk_content=b&pk_source=nl
-
Sign the WeMove petition - https://act.wemove.eu/campaigns/trasparenza-lobby
-
And spread the message to your friends and family!