The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) conducted a public discussion of draft laws on lobbying

10.11.2023

A public discussion took place on the draft laws of Ukraine: "On lobbying and advocacy in Ukraine" and "On amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses regarding violations of legislation in the field of lobbying and advocacy." 46 representatives of civil organizations, international partners, and the media participated in the discussion. Addressing the issue of opaque influence on legislation is crucial for society and requires synchronization of positions from all sides. "The main goal of the proposed draft laws is to eliminate opportunities for corruption during the promotion of private interests in the process of adopting legislative acts. The regulation of lobbying activities should be carried out in a way that does not restrict the rights of civil society and provides citizens with information about influences on legislation," noted Oleksandr Novikov, the Head of NACP. According to the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement (Article 444), in line with recommendations from GRECO, OECD, and the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe, and the European Commission, Ukraine is obligated to legislatively regulate the sphere of lobbying. Compliance with this condition is essential for Ukraine's membership in the European Union. The NACP experts presented the general provisions of the draft laws, outlined the scope of their regulation, and focused on key components such as the status of lobbying subjects, registration of lobbying activities and reporting, the creation of a Transparency Register, lobbying monitoring, and forms of responsibility for violations. The draft laws were developed in accordance with recommendations from the OECD and the Council of Europe, drawing on the experience of developed European countries that have enacted lobbying legislation in recent years: Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Austria, and Poland. Each participant in the discussion expressed their assessment of the draft laws. Members of the public emphasized the need to adapt international lobbying practices to Ukraine's political and legal environment, prevent the restriction of their rights, and paid attention to the importance of an inclusive approach to refining the draft laws. They put forward several proposals for improving the content of the documents and expressed readiness to provide their recommendations in writing. Participants in the discussion agreed on the next meeting to discuss proposals from civil organizations and other stakeholders regarding the improvement of the draft laws, scheduled for November 23, 2023.