ASSESSMENT OF LOBBY RULES/AUSTRIA

Austria

• Mandatory
• Broad definition of lobbying
• Only 137 lobbyists on the register. Each organization defines their own Code ofb Conduct
• Register of Lobbyists- Scope: Executive Branch
• Register categories: Identification, business registry number, field of activity, lobbying costs and revenues for intermediaries category.
• Limited information available

Recommendation

Adopt legislation to strengthen the framework on lobbying including on its scope, supervision and enforcement

Note  

In September 2011, the Austrian Public Affairs Association (OePAV)was founded. Austriaʼs Federal Law for the Transparency of Lobbying Activities and Representation of Political and Economic Interests came into force on January 1, 2013. The law establishes conduct and transparency rules for lobbying in parliamentary or administrative decision-making processes. Lobbying companies, businesses that hire lobbyists to represent their interests, individual lobbyists and associations that carry out activities to represent political and economic interests must register in the Austrian Federal Justice Ministryʼs official lobby and transparency registry — a public database. Those involved in lobbying must follow a code of conduct and publish this code on their own websites. Violating the conduct code results in financial penalties of up to EUR 60,000 and can lead to the elimination of the entity from the lobby registry (where the violation of the rules is considered serious a new registration will only be possible after three years). The mandatory register establishes four different sections of entities separated by the type of actor and establishing different levels of transparency for each.