Blogs

While leaving most issues unclear, the Commission’s response to Parliamentary questions about Dalligate has revealed some disturbing new facts. Behind closed doors meetings with tobacco lobbyists are facilitated by the revolving door – when former public officials become lobbyists, often in the same policy areas.

Corporate Europe Observatory and other members of the ALTER-EU alliance are urging European citizens to demand the full facts about what happened in the lobbying scandal that led to the resignation of Commissioner Dalli. Why was the Commissioner forced to resign and what was the role of the tobacco lobby? The Commission must end its secrecy and release the full facts about Dalligate

The European Commission has published an annual report assessing the first year of the new EU lobby transparency register. Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič claims the report shows that “all our short-term objectives [have been] met”. CEO found his assessment surprising, given the clear flaws in the register highlighted by ALTER-EU. Perhaps the Commissioner needs to set slightly more ambitious targets if transparency in Brussels is to be improved.

“The Dalli case shows the system works,” an EU official told a public debate in Brussels last week, following a question on whether new ethics and transparency reforms will follow the Dalli-gate lobby scandal. The Commission is clearly in denial. The ex-Commissioner's resignation may still be shrouded in mystery, but the need for greater transparency and tighter rules to prevent undue influence could not be more clear. A quick look at lobby transparency systems in Canada and elsewhere can be instructive on this. CEO argues that a more robust, mandatory and better implemented system of lobby transparency in the EU would have prevented an unregistered lobbyist embroiling a high-level policy maker in a cash for access scandal.