The Independent Authority Against Corruption will accept applications to register in the Lobbyists Register from Monday, November 27.
Statement from the Independent Authority Against Corruption said the implementation of the Lobbying Law would bring “revolutionary and radical changes to the way meetings between individuals and officials have been arranged until now.”
The purpose of the Law is to establish a framework for establishing and consolidating transparency regarding public decision-making processes, in order to prevent the creation of conditions that allow or facilitate the incubation of acts of corruption.
Also, obligations are imposed both on lobbyists who intend to be involved in public decision-making processes, as well as on officials or members of the state agency or the wider public sector and employees for the benefit of officials, who, by virtue of their position, take part in the above procedures.
“Given that the Law contains some provisions that can be considered as complex and for which information may need to be provided to all competent bodies, the Authority has decided to implement the provisions of the Law gradually,” it said.
As a first step, as of November 27, the Authority will accept applications for registration in the Lobbyists’ Register. Applications will be examined and, if approved, persons will be registered in the Register and at the same time will sign the Code of Conduct.
For the time being, the procedures will be for the purpose of creating the Register and the obligations of lobbyists will not come into force, since these are intertwined with the obligations of officials.
The provisions of the Law will enter into force at the beginning of 2024, when all obligations of both officials and lobbyists will be implemented simultaneously.
CNA