EUROPEAN COMMISSION: LOBBYISTS WANT LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR COMMISSION REGISTER.

Commenting on the transparency initiative unveiled by the Commission on November 9 which mentions setting up a register of all lobbying groups, a member of the management board of the European Public Affairs Consultancies' Association (EPACA) said that whatever information consultancies were required to provide should be demanded of all campaigning organisations and other interest groups. Russell Patten, Chief Executive of consultancy Grayling Brussels, told Europe Information: "If we are asked to do it (sign up to the register) we want to ensure that every lobbyist does the same thing. Why not law firms, NGOs, interest groups, etc? It has to be across the board". Mr Patten said it was not yet clear what information would be required for the register.

Commenting on the Commission's call for lobbying organisations to draw up a voluntary code of conduct, Mr Patten pointed out that members of EPACA had had their own code for eleven years and it had been adopted...