'Brussels' renews EU transparency debate 

Anti-Fraud and Administrative Affairs Commissioner Siim Kallas has proposed a number of initiatives to increase the accountability and transparency of EU institutions and lobbyists in Brussels.

The announcement comes after advisers from several Commission departments presented a report to the College of Commissioners which analysed possible options that could be explored in the context of the European Transparency Initiative announced by Mr Kallas in March.

The proposals are listed in a communication, issued on 9 November, to the full Commission. It suggests actions be taken in four fields:

• Information on beneficiaries of EU funds: more information about end beneficiaries is to be made available over a central web portal. The Commission said it will publish data on funds it manages on its own (such as EU projects). Concerning data for which member states have a right to confidentiality, such as CAP beneficiaries, the Commission proposes to publish them on the website with member states approval. For better readability, a common methodology to present the information has been suggested. 
• Fighting fraud: the paper suggests enhancing public awareness and information about fraud, for example by publishing a list of entities definitely convicted of fraud. It also suggests requiring member states to notify OLAF, the EU anti-fraud office, about the results of national investigations and publish them where allowed by national laws on presumption of innocence or confidentiality. 
• Lobbying transparency: the paper suggests making more information about the 'interest groups' who lobby the EU institutions in Brussels or are consulted by the Commission on a formal basis. It suggests extending the existing CONNECS database of civil society organisations to "all interest groups and lobbyists." The controversial issue of making registration mandatory is left open. But, as Kallas told EurActiv earlier, the voluntary option will only be given green light if a common code of conduct is applied by all organisations listed in existing registers, including NGO, public affairs practitioners, corporate lobbyists, trade unions, etc. The Commission however, insists that "the credibility of such a system would depend on its proper monitoring, systems for enforcement and the percentage of lobbyists active in Brussels that are effectively adhering to such a code".
• Ethical standards and accountability of EU lawmakers: The Commission proposes to launch a debate to define common ethical rules to be applied to all lawmakers in Brussels. These, the Commission says, should include Commissioners and officials as well as members of the European Parliament and the Council. Gaining public trust, it argues, is "a common good" that cannot be addressed without the Parliament or Council. It therefore proposes setting up an inter-institutional advisory group to assess individual cases of wrongdoing and take possible sanctions. Concerning its own remit, the Commission proposes to make more of its mail public, including mail addressed to individual Commissioners.

EPACA, the European Public Affairs Consultancies' Association, said the Commission paper offered "a reasonable analysis" of the situation. EPACA chairman John Houston told EurActiv he particularly welcomed the fact that the Commission gave no preference on the options concerning lobbying transparency. "It is good that they're taking the process forward carefully," he said. EPACA favours self-regulation over compulsory registration "because it has so far demonstrated its effectiveness". However, it says, that if mandatory rules are decided, they should be "applied equally to all types of organisations (corporations, trade unions, NGO's, law firms, public affairs consultancies, etc.)" whatever the constituency that they represent.

ALTER-EU, an NGO coalition campaigning to "end corporate privileges and secrecy around lobbying" in Brussels is supportive of the Commission's transparency initiative. "The Barroso Commission analysed well the need for more transparency as a necessary step to build public trust," said Paul De Clerck of ALTER-EU. However, De Clerck says he is disappointed that the Commission "has not got any further than listing options on the table". ALTER-EU argues that compulsory registration of all lobbying organisations "with a significant budget", including NGOs, in a central database is the only way to achieve transparency. "The disclosure must include information on clients, budgets and areas of work by lobbyists". ALTER-EU adds the register "can be set up with only minimal cost to the Commission and tiny bureaucracy for those lobbying".