Discover the online public database where lobbyists are invited to declare their identity, aims and expenses. Parliament is calling for making registration mandatory.

European Transparency Register

About 30,000 stakeholders  representing the interests of corporations,

trade, business or professional  associations, are based in Brussels.

Some of them walk in and out  of the EU institutions every day.

Their aim: to shape policies that  match the needs and realities of citizens,

businesses and other organisations  in the Member States.

It's a practice that dates back to the 1830s,  when groups representing private interests

used to roam the lobbies in the House of  Commons to put their case to UK MPs.

To answer European citizens' concerns  about the independence of EU institutions,

a European Transparency Register  was created in 2011.

This is an online public database  where organisations have to register

and they're invited to declare  who they are, who they represent,

what they want and  how much they spend on lobbying.

Entries must be accurate,  complete and up-to-date

and all those on the register  must sign a code of conduct.

Every new organisation  asking for registration will be checked

and can be removed  if there's a complaint.

As of 2016, over 9,000 stakeholders  have registered.

In return, they can access  the EU institutions' premises

to meet civil servants, Commissioners  and MEPs and sit on expert panels.

The Transparency Register  ensures greater scrutiny of lobbying,

covering both the lobbyists, and the  civil servants and MEPs who meet them.

If lobbyists do not comply  with a specified code of conduct,

they lose their access to the EU authorities.

So far, while the EP and Commission  use the Transparency Register,

Finally, to further increase transparency and  openness in the EU policy-making process,

to make the registration of stakeholders  mandatory by 2017.