Since this afternoon, the European Parliament allows MEPs to publish their lobby meetings on the Parliament’s website. MEPs who co-author EU laws as rapporteurs, shadow rapporteurs or committee chairs are obliged to make their lobby meetings transparent to citizens. The rules, passed in the European Parliament on 31 January in a tight and fiercely contested manner, are entering into force with the new mandate. The European rules go back to the initiative report by MEP Sven Giegold (Greens) on “Transparency, Accountability and Integrity in the EU Institutions”. Transparency International had actively supported these rules at EU level. The then Transparency campaign leader Daniel Freund is now a new Green MEP and will from now on take over the work for lobby transparency in the European group of B\u00fcndnis 90\/Die Gr\u00fcnen.<\/p>\n
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MEP Sven Giegold, spokesperson of B\u00fcndnis 90\/Die Gr\u00fcnen in the European Parliament and the last Parliament\u2019s rapporteur for \u201cTransparency, Accountability and Integrity in the EU-Institutions\u201d commented:<\/p>\n
“The European Parliament sets a new European standard for lobby transparency. Everyone can follow online which which lobbyists influence which laws. While the Council of Member States in opaque backroom dealings is pulling a new Commission President out of their hat, the European Parliament is gaining trust with more transparency as the Chamber of Citizens. The European Parliament’s new transparency rule, which came into force today, is a major step forward for European democracy. The European Parliament will thus become the most lobby transparent parliament in Europe.<\/em><\/p>\n