Loopholes, lack of penalties, financial dominance: lobbyists in Brussels can all too often operate under the public’s radar, criticizes the European Court of Auditors.
Lobbyists can still influence EU lawmakers unnoticed by the public. This emerges from a report by the European Court of Auditors published on Wednesday. With the introduction of the EU Transparency Register, Europe’s citizens should be able to find out about the activities of companies, associations, think tanks and non-governmental organizations that want to assert their interests in Brussels through discussions with politicians and influential government officials. “The EU Transparency Register must not become a paper tiger,” said Jorg Kristijan Petrovič, the member of the Court of Auditors responsible for the audit. “Although it contains useful information about lobbying, it does not have the desired impact. The exchange between lobbyists and EU legislators often takes place far from public awareness, which damages transparency and has a negative impact on public trust.”