Sunrise over Brussels?

Lobbying is not only an essential part of every§modern democracy, but it is also a highly debated§issue. Decision-makers and political scientists alike§consider lobbying as a vital component of effective§and efficient policy-making. However, considerable§sections of the media and the public perceive it as§an intransparent part of the policy-making process in§which representatives of powerful interests strive§for concentrated benefits by offering checks in§smoke-filled rooms. The European Transparency (ETI)§tries to address this misconception by establishing a§voluntary register for interest representatives. The§proposal of the register initiated an occasionally§heated debate among Brussels' lobbyists and the§European institutions. This book addresses the key§issues of this debate and provides an academically§sound assessment of the ETI. It covers the general§rationale of the register as well as its definitions,§procedures, scope and focus. While the book comes to§a rather negative conclusion, it offers§recommendations for improvements and contributes to a§still ongoing debate that is no longer limited to§Brussels but increasingly spreads into the Member§States as well.