Grande victoire pour les territoires : les collectivités et leurs associations ne seront plus considérées comme des lobbyistes par l’UE Les institutions européennes se sont mises d’accord sur ce point : les collectivités et leurs associations ne sont plus tenues de s’inscrire dans le registre officiel des lobbyistes. L’UE reconnaît ainsi que nous représentons l’intérêt public et ne devons pas être mis sur le même plan que les acteurs privés. Cette exemption ne s’applique toutefois pas aux collectivités et à leurs associations représentatives hors UE qui devront toujours figurer dans le registre.
rnL'articles est en cours d etraduction.
rnEurope’s municipalities and regions can celebrate a major victory for EU democracy! The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is delighted that, after years of advocacy, the European institutions have agreed that local governments and their associations no longer need to be included in the EU’s official Transparency Register for lobbyists.
rn“We can celebrate today the end of an aberrant situation where elected mayors were put in the same position as private sector lobbyists”, said Rutger De Reu, Vice-Mayor of Deinze (Belgium) and CEMR spokesperson for governance. “By this decision, the European institutions also recognise that local governments and their associations represent the public, are part of the governance framework and thus have the legitimacy to influence EU decision-making.”
rnThe previous rules, put in place in April 2014, meant that local elected representatives could not meet with EU officials if their local government association was not registered. Regions by contrast continued to be exempt from the Register.
rnThe rules violated several articles in the EU treaties and the constitutional order of some member states. After a long campaign by CEMR and several member associations, the Commission in September 2018 proposed repealing the requirement.
rnOnce the updated rules take effect in early July 2021, CEMR, national associations of local governments and their members will no longer need to sign up to the Transparency Register if they wish to discuss with new EU laws that they must deliver on the ground. Therefore, they cannot be barred from attending meetings with EU officials by not being registered.
rnThe new rules only extend to representatives of EU local governments. Those from outside the EU will only be exempt from the Register if they enjoy diplomatic status.
Climate, Sustainable Finance Officer
