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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 20:51

EU’s Transparency Register: a success for “open business”

Eugene Eteris, European Studies Faculty, RSU, Riga, 25.06.2012.Print version
The decision-making in the EU is a complex issue; hence a number of business “interests” is trying to influence the process. In a new form the Transparency Register was established in 2011. It celebrates its first year in action with more than 5,150 registrations. In this activity, the Council was engaged with the EP and Commission, as well as with a number of public consultants.

The Commission and European Parliament's joint Transparency Register (for those engaged in advocacy, interest representation, lobbying etc.) celebrated its first birthday on June 23, 2012. The online register offers citizens extensive information on who is seeking to feed and influence European policy-making, and is an innovative example of cooperation between EU institutions.

 

The anniversary coincides with a decision by the Council of Ministers to be represented as well, by sending an observer to the joint secretariat that deals with the day-to-day management of the register.


Commission’s opinion

On the occasion of the event, Commission’s Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič responsible for inter-institutional relations in the EU acknowledged that the new Transparency Register has had a very promising first year. “The registration figures speak for themselves – more than 5,150 organisations are now bound by the same code of conduct in their interactions with our institutions, and registrations continue their upward trend”, he said.

 

The Council's involvement as an observer also sends a message to the public that all three major EU institutions are working together in this important area, he added.  

 

Reference: Press Release, IP/12/681, 22 June 2012

 

An online public consultation of stakeholders has been launched (it will last until 31 August 2012) to lay the foundations of a review process in 2013, and to feed into preparations for the first annual report on how the register functions.  

 

The anniversary also marks the formal closure of the Commission's old register of interest representatives, introduced in 2008. Organisations in the old register have gradually transferred to the new one during the 12-month switchover period, while all new registrations have taken place exclusively in the joint Transparency Register.

 

Link to the public consultation concerning the Transparency register:

http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/civil_society/consultation/transparency_register_en.htm

Link to the Transparency Register: http://europa.eu/transparency-register/index_en.htm







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