Toespraak eurocommissaris Šefcovic over transparantieregister (en)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very happy to be here today, to discuss with you the next steps in EU's policy on transparency, just a few days after the Joint Transparency Register was launched.

Indeed, the signature and launching of the Register by the EP and the Commission last Thursday [23 June] marked a great day for Transparency!

Of course, the European Parliament and the Commission both had their registers of interest representatives, and both have already had a considerable impact.

[The Commission had put in place a voluntary register of interest representatives in 2008. This instrument provided citizens with detailed information about which organizations are involved in such activities and with what level of financial resources. More than 4,000 organisations signed up, placing the European Commission among the very few public bodies in the world, to offer its own citizens such transparency on lobbying.]

But the Joint Transparency Register goes much further: a one-stop shop, common to both institutions, is now available for citizens to access the information as well as for stakeholders to declare their activities and update their data, in a user friendly and consolidated system.

The new “Transparency register” is based on three pillars:

A code of conduct. The institution's commitment to ethical behaviour is now explicitly matched by integrity rules for those who register through signing up to a common code of conduct explicit.

Effective enforcement through a system of complaint and sanctions: anyone can lodge a complaint to the secretariat of the joint register. Sanctions are in place, including suspension or even deletion from the Register, as incentives to comply with the code, as clearly these sanctions are intended to have reputational effects.

Voluntary provision of information in the register is possible, including on financial activity, on the number of staff involved in advocacy as well as on the amount of funding received from the EU institutions.

So the information provided is greater than ever before, not just in terms of depth, but also of breadth. I was determined from the very beginning that our drive for transparency should be interpreted as widely as possible, and that operators engaged in similar activities should be treated in a similar manner, with no discrimination.

So the new register will include not just traditional lobbyists but also law firms, NGOs, think tanks - indeed any organisation or self-employed individual engaged in influencing EU policy making and implementation.

· In the end, we all win. The Joint Transparency Register will contribute to a more ethical atmosphere in the public arena, thanks to greater openness and the Code of Conduct.

It will improve the quality and reliability of exchanges between the institutions and interest representatives, because it creates a level-playing field.

It will make it easier for members of the public to find out who is saying what, and why.

Most of all, it will benefit interest representatives themselves. Transparent lobbying is more effective lobbying. It reaches a wider audience; it is more likely to get respect and attention. And the initial reactions from this community have been very positive so far: transparency enhances the credibility of the profession, as a whole and also of individual lobbyists. Through voluntary registration, lobbyists demonstrate that they are willing to argue their case publicly, showing that they believe their facts to be reliable and accurate.

Speaking personally, I am more inclined to listen to the advice of someone whose interests and motives are clear. And I'm sure Diana and all my fellow Commissioners feel the same way.

For all these reasons, I believe that the Transparency Register is a timely initiative and I trust that all organisations involved in such activities will see registration as both a duty and a matter of self-interest.

Thank you for your attention.