Yahoo News EU warns bureaucrats to beware Brexit lobbyists
EU bureaucrats have been given a "do's and don'ts" checklist to protect them from lobbyists looking to influence the upcoming Brexit negotiations.
Brussels civil servants are told not to accept hospitality "without careful consideration", not to share confidential information and "where necessary" report any gifts.
Meetings outside of office hours are banned and officials warned that "lobbying can also take place during casual encounters and in social settings".
Lobbying is carried out in Brussels by a wide range of organisations such as consultancies, law firms, NGOs, trade associations and campaigners, the list reads.
It was drawn up by the European Ombudsman, which investigates maladministration in EU institutions, such as the European Commission.
The 20 point list is "relevant to the imminent Brexit negotiations when large numbers of interest representatives will understandably seek to engage with EU officials," the watchdog said.
Brexit | The European Union’s draft negotiation principles
Brussels attracts large numbers of lobbyists, who look to influence EU legislation on behalf of their clients and employers through meetings with the officials working on draft laws.
Britain and the EU have just two years to conclude the Brexit talks. Uncertainty around the impact of Brexit has created much work for lobbyists in sectors as diverse as agriculture, tech and financial services.
"It is not always obvious to public officials as to what constitutes acceptable lobbying," said Emily O'Reilly, who leads the watchdog.
"This checklist will help ordinary civil servants to navigate these occasionally tricky waters,” the Irish former journalist said.
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has promised O'Reilly that the levels of transparency around the Brexit talks will be "unique and unprecedented".
Influence-peddling is so rife in Brussels that the EU created a Transparency Register. Only lobbyists enrolled on it can meet senior officials but the rules are more relaxed for more junior civil servants.
A recent study of businesses with a worldwide turnover from less than £8.6 million to hundreds of billions of pounds found that almost two thirds based a lobbying office in Belgium.
