The Bavarian Lobby Register Act, which will apply from the beginning of 2022, also applies to all members of the state government. On Tuesday, the cabinet passed the same code of conduct for the Council of Ministers, which will also apply to the members of the state parliament from January 1st. Theoretically, a person who does not hold a parliamentary mandate can also be a member of the cabinet. “This creates more transparency in the influence of interest representatives on democratic decision-making and decision-making processes,” said the State Chancellery in Munich on the decision.
The code of conduct formulates uniform principles and rules of conduct for the representation of interests vis-à-vis the state parliament and the state government. The state parliament had already decided on the lobby register in the summer, and state politicians hope that they can improve their public image, which has been severely damaged by affairs and scandals. This means that only officially registered lobby groups are allowed to participate in the legislative processes of the state parliament and the state government. Violations are to be punished with fines of up to 50,000 euros. In future, the register can be viewed by all persons. The key points are far-reaching information and cooperation obligations for interest representatives, a ban on success fees and a ban on improper means of obtaining information, for example through financial incentives.