The new investigations into corruption made sketches this week at the European Parliament with the arrests practiced by the Belgian authorities and the registration of the Chinese offices of Teleco Huawei. But what are the rules to make the lobby in the European Parliament?
Him Scandal for corruptionwhich shakes the European Parliament It has to do with transport too far from an institutional hall, also called the pressure group. However, it is assumed that the activities of the pressure groups are regulated by rules aimed at avoiding these excesses.
The EU prefers the expression ‘Representative of interest‘to that of’pressure group‘and defines it as “any natural or legal person, or group, association or formal or informal network, which carries out activities with the aim of influencing the formulation or application of policies or legislations, or In decision -making processes“, In the Inter -institutional agreements written in 2021.
What is a hall? Is legal ?
Any person who organizes documents in which legislation is addressed, participates in consultations with the Commission or writes open letters on current issues can be considered a pressure group. Most of the large repercussion campaigns affect companies Technological, pharmaceutical or agrifoodBut all sectors are interested: from the protection of the environment, from the film industry or even from coffee producers.
This activity is legal -S is also mentioned in the EU treatise-, but the corruption potential arises when there are Persuasion in exchange for money. The Code of Conduct of Legislators specific to the deputies of “requesting, accepting or receiving any direct or indirect benefit or other reward, also in metallic or in nature, in exchange for specific behavior in the field of parliamentary work of the deputy”, and “They will try to avoid consciously any situation that can imply corruption, corruption or an undue influence.
What are the red lines of the pressure groups?
Also the deputies They must declare gifts who receive for their status of Euradiputados and whose value is equal to or greater than 150 euros, for which a public register is hired. At the moment, 13,762 organizations and more than 50,000 people are officially recognized as Representatives of interest by the EUAnd the number grows day by day. But it is not clear how many of them are actively dedicated to the exercise of the pressure instead of crediting once before the European Parliament.
To enter the European Parliament, interest groups They must appear in a record of transparencyThe catalog that indexed the pressure groups and in which information is displayed such as the objectives of the organization, its budget and the meetings held with legislators and officials of the European Commission.
The recorded undertake Respect a code of conduct which includes the ban on trying to obtain information or decisions in a dishonest or to use improper pressures or improper behavior. If the code is not respected, companies can face the ban on entering the European Parliament.
How the rules apply ?
Although registration is mandatory to access the European Parliament, it cannot be applied to all pressure groups that act outside the physical premises. THE Conferences organized by reflection groupsPolitical or media groups, for example, can offer opportunities to exercise pressure without being regulated.
There are also Doubts about how registration is updatedsince Parliament cannot force companies to make updates. The fact that the application of Lobbys standards is in the hands of the European Parliament and other European institutions means that There is a car system -contolloAlberto Alemanno explains, he is Professor Jean Monnet of the law and the policy of the European Union in Paris.
How to avoid the influences ?
“According to the design, the system does not work and is designed not to work, because There are no political incentives So that the President of the European Parliament, who is also Member of a political partyDo Satisfy these standardsBecause if they are applied, one, they could also impose against their political party. And I think this is really what explains why the current European ethical system is not suitable for work, “he said.
According to Germnanno, the Eurodiputados and Exeurodiputados can Continues to exercise influences In the current environment. “The members of today’s European Parliament are still authorized to have a parallel job so that they can be members of the European Parliament, but also lawyers, pressure groups e defend different types of causes in society They put them in a situation of conflict of interest, “he said.
