EU's efforts to tackle undue influence not sufficient enough!
Launching the EU Lobbyists' register
Tuesday 20 March 2007
In accordance with its previous commitments, the Commission has launched a strategy to improve transparency in the decision-making process. One of the most criticized part of this process concerns the influence acquired by the 15.000 lobyists based in Brussels who provide information and influence to the various DGs inside the Commission.
In order to tackle the phenomena and soothe the critics, the Commission is planning to activate on March 21st a blueprint for a lobbyists register with the aim of creating a website listing all PR consultancies, in-house corporate staff and public interest NGOs as well as their clients or donors and the fees or budget they get to influence EU policy.
Although it is a voluntary scheme, lobbyists who dont spontaneously join the register will be forbidden from taking part in formal EU consultation exercise on new EU laws.
For Corporate Europe Observatory (NGO) spokesman Olivier Hoedeman, along with Transparency International and Greenpeace, the plan is riddled with loopholes and does very little to adress wider problems of hidden corporate influence on EU policy-making. The plan is an appeal to peoples consciences or reputations, Hoedeman said, providing that those who have an interest not to disclose information will not do it.
Harsher are the critics towards revolving doors, or the practice of senior EU officials securing well-paid jobs with major chemicals or energy firms weeks after they leave their EU posts. To prevent this behaviour, the NGOs are proposing a mandatory cooling-off period for EU staff before taking industry jobs or before coming from industry to Brussels.
The lobyists register plan, firstly launched by EU administration commissioner Siim Kallas in 2005 was part of a wider initiative on transparency including a clarification of who gets what in the Common Agricultural Policy. It has received support from various commissioners such as Swedish communications commissioner Margot Wallstrom and Danish farm commissioner Marianne Fischer-Boel. Nevertheless, the plan was watered down by Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso and the corporate interests team represented by industry commissioner Gunter Verheugen, single market commissioner Charlie McCreevy and trade commissioner Peter Mandelson, who never fail to oppose significant changes widely asked by the civil society. Occult corporate interests are by far predominant in the decision-making process, and yet many EU leaders feel they are losing support from the people. Maybe it is time they understood that what the people want is sincere action towards transparency, not the illusion of transparency.
Source: EUobserver