Activities of Costas BOTOPOULOS related to 2007/2115(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Framework for the activities of lobbyists in the EU institutions (debate)
Amendments (11)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
Β. whereas interest representatives play an essential role in the open and pluralistic dialogue on which a democratic system rests, and form an important source of information for Members in carrying out their mandate,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Βa. whereas lobby groups do not only lobby Members but also attempt to influence Parliament's decisions by lobbying secretariat officials of the parliamentary committees, political group staff and Members' assistants,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a. Recognises the influence of lobby groups on EU decision-making and, therefore, the need to adopt a clearly- defined regulatory framework governing their activities;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Considers it essential that Members of Parliament should know the identity of the organisations represented by lobby groups;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for clarity on Intergroups, i.e. apublication on Parliament's website of the list of registered and non-registered Intergroups on Parliament's website, including declarations of the financial interest of their respective chairs, information concerning their members and meetings, the lobby groups which they support and the type of assistance which they provide for those groups;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises that, in spite of the fundamental difference between public and private interest representatives, all actors falling within that definition should be considered as lobbyists and treated in the same way: professional lobbyists, companies' in-house lobbyists, NGOs, think-tanks, trade associations, trade unions and employers' organisations, profit-making and non-profit organisations and lawyers when their purpose is to influence policy rather than case-law;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Is aware of the arguments in favour of both voluntary and compulsory registration of lobbyists; notes the Commission's decision to start with a voluntary register and evaluate the system after one year; given that the legal basis for a mandatory register is provided by the Treaty of Lisbon, considers that a mandatory register is the most appropriate means of increasing transparency; recalls that Parliament's current register is already de facto mandatory, because registering is a prerequisite for gaining access to Parliament;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the Commission's draft Code of Conduct for Interest Representatives; reminds the Commission that Parliament has already had such a Code for over 10 years and asks the Commission to negotiate with Parliament for the establishment of a common Code which also contains an enforcement and sanctions mechanism; considers that lobbyists who wish to be included on the new register should be required to endorse the code, in accordance with Parliament's example;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Emphasises the need for the register to be user-friendly and easily accessible on the Internet; the public must be able to easily find and make searches of the register; ·
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Stresses that the register should contain separate categories in which lobbyists should be registered according to the type of interests they represent (e.g. professional associations, company representatives, trade unions, employers' organisations, lawyers' offices, NGOs, etc.);
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 – Introductory part
Paragraph 16 – Introductory part
16. NotEndorses the Commission's decision to ask for financial disclosure by interest representatives joining the register to apply to the following: