Lobbying in Brussels: A Look at the EU’s Joint Transparency Register

Three years after the EU replaced its ad hoc, voluntary registry with the Joint Transparency Register (JTR), the most recent JTR annual report, in late 2017, noted a 6 percent year-on-year increase in enrollment.

The JTR is now estimated to include 75 percent of business-related entities engaged in lobbying activity and 60 percent of NGOs operating in Brussels, with over 11,600 organizations registered.

At present, the JTR applies to both the European Parliament and the European Commission, but it has been implemented quite differently by the two.

Although the JTR is a voluntary system, to receive a one-year access badge for the Parliament buildings in Brussels and Strasbourg, applicants must register in the JTR. And Commission officials are encouraged to meet only with individuals who are registered in the JTR.

As the 2019 EU elections approach and EU-U.S. trade negotiations heat up, enrollment in the JTR is a best practice for interest representation at the European Parliament and is recommended for effective public affairs management.

To learn more, click here for the full version of this members-only resource, which provides additional background on the JTR and why it’s important to register.