Registry for Lobbyists Is Greeted Coolly
BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Monday opened its voluntary registry for the thousands of lobbyists and special interest organizations operating in Brussels, aiming to shed more light on a group that seeks to influence regulations on everything from computer software to greenhouse gas emissions.
Olivier Hosslet/European Pressphoto Agency
But relatively few companies or associations rushed to register — although those that did provided an inkling of the huge amounts spent each year on lobbying. Advocacy groups, meanwhile, renewed calls for the European Union to force lobbyists to disclose more information, calling the voluntary registry weak and flawed.
The Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica was the first to register, listing its lobbying costs as 950,000 euros, or $1.5 million, during 2007.
“By registering right away we show how strongly we support this transparency initiative,” said Carlos Lopez, head of global public policy for Telefónica. “I think all companies will be happy to use these rules.”
By early evening, 17 groups had joined the list, including the French beverage company Pernod Ricard, which said it had budgeted 460,000 euros for 2008.
Other groups included the European Community Shipowners’ Associations, which said it spent 942,714 euros during 2007.
Some consultants said it could be several months before they register.
Jose Lalloum, the chairman of European Public Affairs Consultancies Association, which represents 35 large consulting agencies, including Hill & Knowlton and Weber Shandwick, said his group was trying to determine what activities could be excluded from the register. He said it also wanted to figure out how to avoid listing activities that already have been reported by clients like multinational companies or governments.
Siim Kallas, the vice president of the commission, said the register was a first step to creating a single register that also would cover the European Parliament and other institutions on the Continent.
Mr. Kallas also said there was no need to make the system obligatory.
European officials have said that any effort to impose mandatory registration would require legislation, which could take years to pass.
Transparency International, an anticorruption group, nevertheless called for an obligatory system to be established.
“The remaining deficiencies of the commission register should be remedied to guarantee real transparency and to ensure the establishment of a strong and mandatory lobbyist register,” said Jana Mittermaier, the head of the group’s Brussels office.
Another group, the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency, called the register “weak and unbalanced” partly because names of individual lobbyists would not be available in many cases.
The most delicate part of the registry is information on the amount of money interest groups are paid for their work.
Consulting agencies that register must list the total amount of sales they derive from clients for lobbying all European Union institutions. They also must list how much of that is represented by each client to the nearest 50,000 euros, or as a percentage of their overall sales.
In-house lobbyists or those for trade associations that register must estimate to the nearest 50,000 euros their overall costs for directly lobbying all European institutions. For nongovernmental organizations and research firms that register, the groups must give their overall budget for lobbying all European institutions and their main sources of finance.
Officials estimate that there are about 15,000 individuals active in lobbying in Brussels who represent about 2,600 special interest groups.
Companies that entered incorrect information could be suspended or removed from the register.
There are also options for whistle-blowers to report those that disguise the full extent of their activities.
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