Financial Times
Brussels lobbyists agree to registration regime
By Andrew Bounds in Brussels
Published: January 27 2006 17:17 | Last updated: January 27 2006 17:17

Brussels’ biggest lobbying firms have agreed to a US-style regulation regime as
the fall-out from the Jack Abramoff scandal sweeps across the Atlantic.

The European Public Affairs Consultancies’ Association has dropped its
longstanding opposition to registration and public disclosure of clients as
pressure builds in the wake of the criminal case against the Washington
lobbyist.

John Houston, chairman of Epaca, said on Friday: “We have no problems with
declaring our clients and registering. As to whether fees should be declared,
we have an open mind.”

Under the US system lobbyists must file details of their clients and how much
they are paying. Lobbyists in Brussels are unregistered and operate
self-governing codes of conduct that cover only a fraction of their number.

Epaca, whose 31 members include global companies such as Burston Marsteller and
Weber Shandwick, represents 600 of the estimated 15,000 lobbyists in the EU
capital. The true figure is unknown because of the lack of regulation.

Mr Houston said other groups that lobbied, such as lawyers, accountants,
non-governmental organisations, think tanks and trade unions, should follow
suit.

While the European Commission has been leading the drive for greater
transparency in how its decision-making is influenced, Mr Houston also called
on it to tighten rules for staff dealings with lobbyists. “It is our feeling
there is too much discretion for officials over contact, and there is a need
for a little more clarity.”

There are numerous cases of officials leaving the EU executive and immediately
turning their knowledge to lucrative use for consultancies. They need only seek
the Commission’s permission, which is rarely denied.

Erik Wesselius, of ALTER-EU, a coalition of 140 groups advocating reform,
welcomed Epaca’s change. “They have moved much further and faster than we
expected,” he said. His group would now discuss with the Commission and Epaca a
common code and the setting up of an independent European Public Affairs
Council.

Siim Kallas, European administration commissioner, who will next month publish a
consultation paper on lobbying and transparency, has said he prefers a
compliance-based regime to a rules-based one. “A European Abramoff affair would
be catastrophic in terms of public perception. The Abramoff affair also shows
that mandatory rules alone are potentially worthless.”

Pressure will now grow on the European parliament. Many MEPs and their
researchers have close ties to companies that are not always declared when
drawing up legislation.

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