PUBLIC AFFAIRS LOBBY COMES OUT IN FAVOUR OF SYSTEM OF COMPULSORY REGISTER.

• Position: European Public Affairs Consultancies Association - Brief Article

Having opposed the idea of stricter regulations for governing lobbying in Brussels, the European Public Affairs Consultancies Association (comprising 31 organisations) has come out in favour of a registration system and transparency with regard to the names of clients. Quoted by the Financial Times on January 28-29, EPACA's Chairman, John Houston, even claimed to be "open" to revealing their fees. This surprising about-turn follows in the wake of the recent Abramoff scandal in the United States (corruption of members of the American congress by the lobbyist Jack Abranoff) and the soon-to-be published Green Paper on lobbying and transparency (an initiative by the European Commissioner for Administration and Personnel, Audit and Anti-Fraud).

Lobbying activities are estimated to produce between euro 60 and 90 million in annual revenues, Mr Kallas had said in a speech given at the Centre of European Policy Studies on October 20, 2005. While emphasising the positive role of the 15...