Más transparencia en el Parlamento Europeo sobre los lobbies

A continuación os reproduzco la nota de prensa del Grupo Socialista del Parlamento Europeo sobre la adopción esta mañana en la Comisión de Asuntos Constitucionales del Informe sobre el desarrollo del marco para las actividades de los grupos de intereses en las instituciones europeas (lobbies), del que ha sido ponente Alexander Stubb y en el que yo he actuado como ponente socialista en la sombra. El resultado ha sido bueno y hemos conseguido incluir muchas de nuestras enmiendas.

News from the Socialist Group in the European Parliament

1 April 2008

MORE TRANSPARENT RULES FOR BRUSSELS LOBBYISTS

New rules are being drawn up for the 5,000 lobbyists in Brussels when making representations to EU institutions.

The European Parliament's constitutional affairs committee today voted overwhelmingly for new rules to regulate such activities.

The Socialist Group's spokesman on constitutional matters, Richard Corbett, said: "We support the new rules which make relations between pressure groups and the European institutions more transparent."

Carlos Carnero, who led the negotiations on behalf of the socialists, said: "For years we have been arguing for more transparency. That's why we are in favour of measures which are aimed at increasing the responsibility of lobbyists, particularly in their relations with MEPs and the European Parliament in general.

"In future lobbyists will have to register at a 'one-stop-shop' for all the EU institutions. They will also be asked to make public their sources of finance.

"We are also in favour of the publication of the names of those pressure groups and lobbyists which have been consulted in the drawing up of European legislation.

"We welcome these new rules because they help to reinforce the confidence of citizens in the legislative work of the European Parliament," Mr Carnero added.

The new rules have yet to receive the support of the parliament as a whole in the April or May plenary session.