PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY IN MEXICO

Based on information provided by the Mexican Ministry of Interior Unit of Legal Affairs, there are 258 Lobbyists registered in the House of Representatives (Parliamentary Gazette, October 2012). The Senate does not have a Lobbyists Registry.

The National Association of Professional Lobbyists (PROCAB), Asociacion Nacional de Profesionales del Cabildeo (see below) counts 23 members. Lobbying firms in Mexico generate annual revenues of US$ 20 million.

Lobbying is regulated only in the legislative branch by the internal rules of each house. The House of Representatives has rules in place since 2011 and the Senate since 2010. The Lobbyists Registry as well as lobbying activities are controlled by the Board of each institution.

The Rules of the House of Representatives include: Definitions of lobbyist and lobbying; requires registration of lobbying firms and individuals and registration is valid for the legislative period; bans participation of representatives and close family, restricts the number of lobbyists working per committee; prevents legislators from engaging with stakeholders interests; prohibits legislators to accept gifts or payments; documents regarding lobbying activity are stored and published  for public consultation; the Board can revoke a lobbyist registration in case of providing false information to legislators.

The Rules of the Senate include: Definition of lobbying activity; legislators report lobbying activity to the Senate Board; senators cannot accept gifts or payments from lobbyists; sanctions apply.

Mexico is currently working on the following:

• Improving the effectiveness of the Registry system
• Implementing an integrity framework and extending it to the Executive Branch
• Creating a regulatory authority external to Congress
• Creating rules and guidelines that would set standards of professionalism for lobbyists and a code of conduct for public officials who are lobbied
• Mechanisms to sanction inappropriate influence by lobbyists and for misuse of confidential information
• Policies for managing conflicts of interest matters and unbalanced representation
• Addressing revolving doors practices
• Achieving a set of rules that regulate lobbying at the local level consistent with the wider policy and regulatory framework
• Fostering a culture of integrity, transparency and trust in government organizations and the decision making process
• Providing an adequate degree of transparency to ensure public officials, citizens and businesses can obtain sufficient information on lobbying activities
• Reinforcing strategies and practices to achieve compliance

The Mexican Government is currently working on a Draft Law on Lobbying in order to adopt best international practices and overcome the inefficiencies of the current regulation. This will cover substantive law matters e.g. subjects to the law, requirements, obligations and prohibitions; creation of an authority engaged with lobbying regulation; registration of lobbyists; types of lobbyists as well as adjective law matters e.g. duties and functions of the supervising authority; requirements and method for submission of documents and information; registration rules; certification and documentation; lobbyists’ code of conduct; lobbyists’ registrar system; offences and sanctions)

The National Association of Lobbying Professionals (PROCAB) was created in an effort to make sure that the activity would have rules of conduct underpinned by a code of ethics and values recognized by an organization that gives importance to social responsibility as its mainstay. PROCAB was formed with the firm objective of promoting the development of lobbying activities under the axes of transparency and respect for the law. PROCAB is comprised of professional lobbying firms and companies that meet the requirement of having a longstanding track record of lobbying activities and ample knowledge of the sectors in which they interact and are involved. The National Association of Professional Lobbying (PROCAB) is an association with different committees in which we discuss the way we work and the way we should work, as well as our code of ethics, how to transmit our messages regarding lobbying in Mexico, how to be an efficient interlocutor, and how to propose good regulations that work.

Members

1. Alfa S.A.B. de CV (1)
2. Asesoria Estrategia Total, S.C. (2)
3. Asociacion Nacional de Tiendas de Autoservicio y Departamentales A.C. (ANTAD) (1)
4. Grupo Consultor Interdisciplinario S.C. (2)
5. Consultoria y Relaciones Gubernamentales SC (1)
6. Daimler (1)
7. Dynamis Consultores S.C. (2)
8. Grupo Estrategia Politica S.C. (3)
9. Grupo Salinas (2)
10. Guerra, Castellanos y Asociados (2)
11. Llorente & Cuenca (1)
12. Politicas Publicas y Asesoria Legislativa S.C. (2)
13. Pricewaterhousecoopers (3)
14. Safi Consultores (1)
15. Structura SA de CV (1)
16. Union de Instituciones Financieras Mexicanos AC (UNFIM) (1)
17. Zimat Consultoes Comunicacion Total SA de CV (1)