Lobbyists should join transparency register says Diana Wallis MEP

2.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 17th Jul 2008

Since the European Commission's voluntary register for lobbyists was opened on 23 June 2008, to date, 174 organisations have registered with the Commission, providing a certain amount of financial disclosure. However, only 9 public affairs consultancies have registered with the Commission. The bulk of registrants are professional organisations and NGOs.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Diana Wallis MEP, the European Parliament's Vice-President responsible for transparency, said

"If the Commission's register is to properly serve its purpose, we need registration across the board from interest representatives.

"It is very surprising to note that a vast majority of public affairs consultancies have so far refrained from registering.

"If such significant interest representatives remain voluntarily outside of the register and its modest financial disclosure requirements, then I have no doubt that the Parliament will strongly repeat calls for a mandatory common register - one which also includes the Council. We have already seen that some sectors of industry, such as the mobile phone operators, have learnt the hard way when they have arrogantly ignored any kind of voluntary measures.

"All interest representatives must realise that it is in their interests to work transparently, and I will certainly be encouraging them to do so on an individual basis, as and when they approach me."