Industry touts ombudsman for role as lobbyist watchdog

Campaign groups and public affairs professionals are calling for the European Ombudsman to be given a role in ensuring compliance with planned new EU rules on lobbyists.

Both ALTER-EU, an umbrella group of 140 non-governmental organisations, and the Society of European Affairs Professionals (SEAP) in their responses to a European Commission consultation on its transparency initiative have suggested involving ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros in policing new rules.

The consultations, which were originally due to close at the end of August, will almost certainly be extended until the middle of September, said a spokeswoman for Administrative Affairs Commissioner Siim Kallas, who is leading efforts to raise levels of transparency for lobbying activities. The move follows criticism from a number of parties who are taking part in the consultation that the four-month window for making submissions was too short.

So far, 16 groups have sent contributions to the Commission.

ALTER-EU said that the Commission should set up an "independent public body" to implement and enforce EU lobbying transparency and ethics rules. It suggests that a "separate new lobby- ing transparency unit" could be set up in the office of the ombudsman.

Jorgo Riss, a member of ALTER-EU's steering committee from Greenpeace's European Unit, explained that the idea of involving the ombudsman had emerged after the Commission had failed to make any suggestions about a new body to oversee the application of lobbying rules.

SEAP, which represents more than 200 lobbyists, consultants and lawyers, also supports a role for the ombudsman. In its submission, SEAP said that it would be "useful" to have an "external watchdog" to monitor compliance with new rules and that the ombudsman could take on responsibility for an initial period.

But the organisation says that the watchdog should deal only with codes of conduct drawn up by industry professionals' bodies themselves. It is opposed to a consolidated or common code that would apply to all lobbyists although it would accept the Commission, with the Council and the European Parliament, drawing up minimum standards for all European affairs practitioners. Sanctions procedures should be decided by each industry organisation and not be left to "outsiders", SEAP said.

A spokeswoman for Commissioner Kallas expressed doubts about suggestions that the ombudsman should get involved in monitoring compliance, saying that the Commission envisaged an external watchdog rather than someone with an institutional responsibility to investigate administrative malpractice.

But a spokesman for the ombudsman said that Diamandouros was "very supportive" of the transparency initiative.

Kallas is expected to present formal proposals on new transparency rules in November.

As part of the submissions, Transparency International and ALTER-EU are calling for a mandatory registration and disclosure system for all lobbyists with a quarterly budget of more than €5,000. Both groups want commercial lobbyists to disclose fees and expenses that they receive from their clients.

The European Public Affairs Consultancies Association, in its submission, said that it could support a compulsory code for lobbyists but still remains firmly opposed to publishing "commercially sensitive or confidential" information about sources of revenue.

Campaign groups and public affairs professionals are calling for the European Ombudsman to be given a role in ensuring compliance with planned new EU rules on lobbyists.

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