Online registry for lobbyists
Organisations that decide to participate will have to provide basic information such as who they are, their objectives, areas of interest and how they are funded.
Commercial lobbyists acting on behalf of someone else will have to reveal their clients.
"Lobbying is a necessary and growing business, and regulation is inescapable," Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas said.
"I am happy that the profession agrees, and has signalled its readiness to protect its own reputation and help us preserve the legitimacy of our interaction," he added.
However, anti-lobby lobby Alter-EU complained that because the registry was voluntary it was too weak, defeating its purpose of creating more transparency.
"The commission started off over three years ago with worthy ideas for an EU lobby register, but the end product is proof that commercial lobbyists have excessive influence in Brussels," Alter-EU campaigner Jorgo Riss said.
"We sincerely hope the commission’s flawed register will quickly be replaced by a better one that ensures real transparency," he added.
The European Parliament voted on May 8 in favour of tightening rules regulating the estimated 15,000 lobbyists that seek to influence decision-making in EU institutions.
By an overwhelming majority EU lawmakers adopted a report recommending a mandatory public register for lobbyists, a code of conduct and sanctions for those who flaunt it.
In reaction to the commission’s move, Green EU lawmaker Claude Turmes said: "As a voluntary register, there is no compulsion for any of the numerous lobbying companies to participate at all.
"And companies who do choose to sign up can do so safe in the knowledge that their activities will not be properly scrutinised," he added.
Until now, the parliament was the only EU institution to have a registry for lobbyists, although it too is voluntary.
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