EU parliament approves mandatory registry of lobbyists

News

EU parliament approves mandatory registry of lobbyists

May 8, 2008 03:03:00 pm

[JURIST] The European Parliament [official website] Thursday approved [press release] a report [PDF text] calling for a mandatory registry of lobbyists seeking access to EU lawmakers [CorpWatch backgrounder]. The measure was passed 547-24, with 59 abstaining. The Parliament also supported a "one-stop-shop" proposal, which would allow lobbyists to register once to gain access to Parliament, the European Commission, and the European Council [official websites], but that vote was only binding for the Parliament.

The three EU institutions intend to establish a common list of lobbyists, which the EU Parliament hopes to be ready in time for European elections in 2009. The Parliament currently maintains a voluntary registry. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

WWI gas attack on Canadians led to first chemical weapons ban

On April 24, 1915, the German army used chlorine gas against Canadian troops at Ypres. Gas was later employed by British and French forces against the Germans. Learn more about early efforts by the Red Cross to ban chemical weapons and review the June 1925 Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare.

Library of Congress created

On April 24, 1800, U.S. President John Adams approved $5,000 to fund the establishment of the U.S. Library of Congress.

Learn more about the history of the U.S. Library of Congress.