Open Government in the EUThe Commission’s New Directive on Transparency of Third Country Lobbying
The European Commission emphasises that the new law does not stigmatise anyone nor involve criminal sanctions. But the more a statement is repeated, the less credible it appears, says Emilia Korkea-aho.
In today’s hyperglobal and networked world, laws created by regulatory superpowers can have legal effects across the world. It is no surprise, then, that those affected are keen to ensure that their voice is heard in rule-making. But is the EU prepared for such foreign lobbying activities? Emilia Korkea-aho argues that compared to another global regulator, the US, the EU remains one step behind where it comes to regulation and disclosure rules.
In mid-December 2020, after almost four years of on-off negotiations, agreement on a joint transparency register, also colloquially known as a lobbying register, was announced. But the deal stretches the definition of mandatory beyond normal uses of the word, Emilia Korkea-aho argues.
