The National Agency on Corruption Prevention conducted public discussions 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" held on November 10 and 23, 2023. The conduct of two public discussions is an unprecedented event for our country, and the process was inclusive and open. Participants in the discussions included representatives from business, government, and civil society organizations, ensuring a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
Following the two public discussions, the NACP published a corresponding report, available on the official website in the "Public Discussions" section. Approximately 89% of the proposals provided by participants were taken into account in the draft law of Ukraine, "On Ethical Lobbying and Advocacy in Ukraine."
The final version of the Law excluded provisions regarding:
- Mandatory registration of the advocacy subject in the Transparency Register.
- Responsibility of advocacy subjects.
- Monitoring compliance with the legislation in the field of advocacy.
- Obligatory reporting of advocacy subjects in the Transparency Register.
According to the draft Law of Ukraine "On Lobbying and Advocacy in Ukraine," an advocacy subject annually publishes general information on each advocacy subject and the sources of funding for advocacy on their official website or social media pages in any form. Thus, the proposed Law suggests a mechanism for voluntary and ethical reporting of funds raised for advocacy rather than mandatory reporting.
As a result of public discussions, the majority of proposals from civil society organizations were taken into account. The final version of the draft Law of Ukraine "On Lobbying and Advocacy in Ukraine" does not impose any restrictions on the activities of civil society organizations and does not create any administrative burden for such organizations.
The NACP has also posted reference materials and video recordings of both public discussions on its website. It is worth emphasizing that, in developing the draft law, the NACP took into account the recommendations of the European Commission, which are outlined in the interim decision on Ukraine's accession to the EU, published on November 8 of this year.
The purpose of adopting the mentioned laws is to create a market for lobbying services and to ensure, in accordance with international standards, ethical interaction between legislative entities and stakeholders.
