Ethics alliance calls for stricter lobbying guidelines

An anti-lobbying group has set out its demands for tighter controls on lobbying through the EU's transparency register and an improved code of conduct for lobbyists.

The Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (Alter-EU), a group of trade unions, academics and public affairs firms, says the transparency register contains significant flaws as it stands.

According to the group, the EU should impose a fully mandatory system, including financial disclosure requirements, transparency on funding sources and identification of active lobbyists, as part of the current review of the system. This must be coupled with action from the EU institutions to refuse meetings with unregistered lobbyists and exclude them from institutional buildings.