Transparency in EU Decision Making, Holding Corporations to Account: Why the ETI Needs Mandatory Lobbying Disclosure

Abstract

First paragraph: The Green Paper on the European Transparency Initiative (ETI) is long overdue and it is to be welcomed that the Commission has recognised and is beginning to address the serious issues of accountability and legitimacy that face the EU as a polity. The Green Paper rightly states that the framework in which lobby groups and civil society groups operate is of great importance to EU governance and that "relations between the Commission and interest representatives must be open to outside scrutiny" (Green Paper, 2006: 4). To enable this to happen the Commission must ensure all lobbying is transparent.