KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROMOTING ETHICAL LOBBYING

Source: Transparency International (April 2015)

The following are key recommendations for governments and lobbyists to promote ethical lobbying and deter undue influence

1. Ensure lobbying regulation is based on a set of broad definitions which capture all who engage in lobbying activities (including consultant lobbyists, in-house lobbyists, public affairs firms, NGOs, corporations, industry/professional associations, trade unions, think tanks, law firms, faith-based organisations, academics and pro-bono office holders of incorporated entities) and all key lobbying targets).
2. Establish and strengthen existing registers of lobbyists by making them mandatory, requiring timely registration by lobbyists, recording detailed information on who lobbyists represent, who they target, with which resources, with what purpose and using which supporting evidence.
3. Ensure a “legislative footprint” is created for every legislative or policy proposal to ensure full transparency of decision-making processes. This would include tracking and publishing external input and contact between lobbyists and public officials. 
4. Require that public officials and representatives publish information on their meetings and interactions with lobbyists including calendars, agendas, and documentation received from lobbyists. All those seeking to influence public policy (including professional lobbyists, businesses and civil society organisations) must ensure they are proactively transparent about their advocacy and lobbying including the publication of: Policies, expenditure and individuals lobbying on the organisation’s behalf; Political contributions and political involvement; Position papers and supporting documentation presented in support of lobbying efforts.
5. Establish minimum ‘cooling-off’ periods before former public and elected officials can work in lobbying positions that may create conflicts of interest and create a permissions process from a designated ethics office before a lobbying-related appointment can be taken up by former public officials, former members of parliament, and former members of the executive (national and subnational levels).
6. Amend existing codes of conduct for public officials to guarantee they include clear behavioural standards related to lobbying and how they should interact with interest groups.
7. Introduce a statutory code of conduct for lobbyists laying out the core principles of ethical lobbying.
8. Lobbyists must commit to carry out their work with integrity, in coherence with their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, ensuring that information conveyed is factually accurate and honest and that they do not misrepresent their status or the nature of their communications
9. Approve legal requirements that allow citizens, interest groups and corporate bodies to equally input into legislative items under consideration.
10. Introduce a legal requirement on public bodies to publish the results of consultation processes, including the views of participants in the consultation process.
11. Make open all calls for applications to sit on advisory/expert groups and introduce selection criteria to ensure a balance of different interests.
12. Establish an adequately resourced independent oversight body to enforce rules regarding the transparency of lobbying activities and ethical conduct (post-employment, conflicts of interest, gifts and hospitality).

Lobbyist associations have an important role to play in promoting good practice through awareness raising, training and providing ethical guidance to those seeking to influence policy.