Diana hosts key conference in Brussels

3.48.23pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 9th Sep 2009

Diana Wallis MEP yesterday hosted a Conference in the European Parliament in Brussels entitled: Communication with the EU institutions - interest groups and transparency debate. Organised by the main English language newspaper in Brussels, European Voice, the event allowed interested parties to hear the different sides of the intense discussion in the EU's institutions and in the public affairs community about lobbying, transparency and accountability.

The conference looked at how policymakers and legislators gather information and at the different roles of interest groups as they seek to contribute information and shape the debate.

It considered how the landscape of interest group representation has changed in recent years, with a greater role for the European Parliament, a more complex, crowded arena and new requirements for impact assessments, plus the likely effects of the Lisbon treaty.

The issue of regulating interest group representation has been high on the EU's political agenda over the last five years. Siim Kallas, the European commissioner for administrative affairs, launched the European Transparency Initiative shortly after taking office, in an attempt to make the institutions more accountable and be more open about how lobby groups work in Brussels and he also spoke at the event attended by over 100 people.

The Commission has set up a register of interest group representatives. So far, more than 1,800 organisations have signed up. The European Parliament and the Commission are working to unite their registers.

So how is the system working? Should the EU move closer to the US model? Is it possible to devise an efficient regulation of lobbying that does not shut out smaller players, while giving everyone fair access to decision-makers?