Will the lobbyists please stand up

How do you represent or defend your interests in Brussels? Well, if you have the money to back your cause you might want to hire profesional and well connected help to further your cause. Brussels is home to about 15,000 lobbysts, competing with Washington for the title of the world's capital of lobbying. And the number of lobbysts in the European capital is on the rise. So much so , that the European Commission is now seeking to regulate this influential industry.

”Most of the Lobbying offices are here in the EU quarter, which is about 4 square kilometers, and this is basically where you find all the Commission buildings, the Council headquarters, and the Parliament.”

Erik Wesselius from the Corporate Europe Observatory takes us on a tour of European lobbying. For ten years now, the observatory has been fighting for a better visibility of the practices of the European institutions, and for more transparency on what Brussels' pressure groups are doing on a day to day basis.

”We are now on the Avenue Cortenbergh, which is one of the main roads of lobbying in Brussels, you find many national representation offices, and many office buildings like the one we are standing in front of with several companies like Thales, E-on, the German insurers organisation. A few buildings further on the road you have UNICE, which is the big European Employers’ Confederation, and funny detail, UNICE is on the one side of the road and the Directorate General for the Internal Market, one of the most important Directorates General for UNICE, is on the other side of the road, which is of course very practical.”

It may sound like a small detail, but it illustrates the strong presence of lobbies in Brussels trying to influence European legislation. Their targets are the European Commission, the European Parliament, and - to a lesser extend - the European Council. Stéphane Désselas, is both a lawyer and lobbyist in Brussels.

”We intervene in all three institutions, but at different stages of the legislation process. The European Commission is important in the run-up to new legislation. As you may know, the Commsion is the one initiating new legislation. That's why we always have to be in touch with them - even before new legislation is proposed. Once legislation is initiated, it goes to the European Parliament for the first reading, this then becomes the crucial place where lobbyists can intervene. When it comes to the European Council, admittedly this is a more diplomatic body - so the access is more difficult for lobbyists, but we try to intervene through national administrations.”

The European Parliament is hence the ideal place to exercise influence, especially, as the importance of the Chamber has grown significantly over the years. And its members acquired a taste for it. It is impossible for a parliamentarian to be a specialist on all the dossiers he or she is handling. The expertise offered by lobbyists is considered not only useful but sometimes necessary. Gérard Onesta, Vice President of the European Parliament:

”It is a source of information. As Member of the European Parliament you don't necessarily dispose of all the relevant information you need. It doesn't bother me to have lobbyists and I don't mind listening to their arguments, as long as it's transparent and they introduce themselves as representatives of company X, Y or Z. Then, of course, I have to consult other sources and form my own opinion on the dossier. Otherwise I am totally in the hands of lobbyists.”

The aim of the lobbyists is to contact the representatives wherever they can. Business lunches, parliamentary committees, and conferences are all perfect opportunities to get in touch with political decision makers. But while lobbying may be considered a useful POLITICAL tool, its practices and the lack of transparency can also be a PROBLEM. Gérard Onesta again:

”There is no doubt lack of transparency. Usually, lobbyists have to wear a badge to enter the building. But then, in the committee meetings, which are public, they come and talk to you and you do not really know for sure where they're coming from. They may tell you that they are working for a likeable association, but in the end the motives are maybe a bit questionable. There would definitely be room for improvement.”

And that's exactly what Siim Kallas the Commissioner for administrative affairs has in mind. When it comes to transparency, Kallas wants to introduce a code of conduct for lobbyists. They will have to register with the European Commission, provide information about their financial sources and the interests they are representing. Erik Wesselius from the Corporate Europe Observatory.

”We need to know how is paying certain lobby firms, who are their clients, often, they do not want to tell, and that is really a problem.”

Close to 70 percent of Brussels lobbyists defend the interests of large multinational corporations and major industries. And their financial means are huge: According to the Corporate Europe Observatory, up to one billion Euro a year is spent on lobbying activities in Brussels. So, when it comes to transparency, lobbyists are ready to concur, but under certain conditions. The lobbyist Stéphane Désselas:

”I have no problem with saying whom I am working for as long as professional secrets are kept and confidentiality is respected. We have to find the right balance between saying for whom we're working and violating commercial secrets. If we disclose for example the budgets we have for each client there's a big chance we'll loose those clients to other consultancies. So the Commission also has to be sensitive to this issue.”

But to avoid Brussels lobbyists taking over the European decision making process, the Commission has to establish clear rules. Not least of all in the interest of European citizens.

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