The
European Commission and the European Parliament are reviewing the results of
public consultations on the Transparency Register, aimed at ‘removing the veil’
from lobbying activities in Brussels.
by Agata de Latour, Poland / Belgium
Olivier
Hoedeman, campaign coordinator at the Corporate Europe Observatory, an NGO
monitoring the role of lobbying in EU decision-making, has great expectations about
the review.
However,
the register has weaknesses, such as being voluntary. Mr Hoedeman says the
first step would be to make registering obligatory. This would provide “a basic
level of visibility” and is a “precondition to avoid corruption”.
The
register, set up two years ago, consists of a list of organisations
representing interest groups trying to influence European decision-making. It
describes organisations, resources and the issues involved.
In danger
“We
really have to cherish tools like the Transparency Register. It can really make
a difference in Europe.” However, without clear rules on lobbying, European
democratic principles are in danger, argues Mr Hoedeman. Strong interest groups
with lots of resources can largely dominate and influence those who were
elected to represent the interests of all European citizens.
“Lobbying
at European level includes all kinds of activities and sectors whereby those without
a formal role and who were not elected to any European institutions can influence
EU decision-making,” he says. “When we talk about lobbying, we generally refer
to the work done by professional lobbyists who do this as a job.”
“Lobbying is finding
ways to ensure that decision-makers hear the same message every day”
There
is a big difference of scale between the industry lobby and NGOs. “Being here
in Brussels with a permanent presence is an expensive affair. Not every
organisation can afford it,” says Mr Hoedeman. “To set up an office here, to
employ people and to stay involved in an issue from the beginning to the end –
those are major investments.”
It’s
estimated that about two-thirds of lobbyists in Brussels represent industry while
only 10% represent civil society. The tobacco industry, for instance, has at
least 100 full-time lobbyists in Brussels.
Invisible
There
is a wide range of lobbying methods, but some engagements between lobbyists and
decision-makers are ‘hidden from view’ and are not controlled. Mr Hoedeman says
the methods range from the daily slog of trying to set up meetings with decision-makers,
sending them position papers and emailing them with proposals about legislation,
to conferences, seminars, cocktail parties and lunch meetings.
”In
short, lobbying is finding different ways to ensure that decision-makers hear
the same message every day. And it involves establishing a relationship of trust.”
The
documentary ‘The Brussels Business’, by Friedrich Moser and Matthieu Lietaert,
reveals much about the lack of transparency and influence of lobbyists. Mr Hoedeman
says the main problem is that those with strong financial resources and
organised in networks of powerful interests are able to gain access to
decision-makers easily, out of sight of the public.
See video
at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grU9pcUNoZo
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Citizens in large numbers can have ‘surprising effect’
EU decisions should be made through public debate,
according to the Corporate Europe Observatory. “In that way everybody knows who
is speaking and where the different views are. The citizen can judge the
arguments based on their merit,” says Olivier Hoedeman, coordinator of the
observatory.
The observatory is campaigning to improve transparency
and accountability in EU decision-making. “The decision-making has to be as
much as possible in a public setting, so that citizens can be engaged. That is the
ideal we have for a democratic system,” says Mr Hoedeman.
There are many
possibilities for citizens to take part in the decision-making process, he
believes. “For the moment, these possibilities are unexploited. There is a
problem of lack of engagement from citizens. But if large groups of people
start to engage, it can really make a difference, it can have a surprising
effect.”
Mr Hoedeman points
to some effective campaigns using online activism. “The Act on ACTA campaign is
a very good example. This model consists of trying to inform and mobilise other
citizens, using the networks that exist, and really make the campaign visible.”
The power of
citizens, compared to the industry lobby, is that citizens have particular legitimacy
and credibility, and can potentially engage a huge number of people.
Corporate Europe
Observatory: http://corporateeurope.org/
ACTA – the Anti-Counterfeiting
Trade Agreement
Act on ACTA: http://act-on-acta.eu/
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