The EU introduces new rules to make third-country lobbying transparent.

The IMCO Committee approved the directive on transparency in interest representation activities by non-European entities. Vălean (EPP): "Citizens want to know who influences our laws: this provision protects democracy, not limits it."

Brussels, 16 October 2025 – The European Parliament takes a decisive step towards greater transparency in the Union institutions.
La Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) approved his position on the new Directive on transparency in lobbying activities conducted by third countries, a text that responds to the growing concern about foreign interference in the decision-making processes of European democracies.

With 35 votes in favor, 4 against and 8 abstentions, the commission adopted a document introducing mandatory national registers, greater clarity on funding and a series of guarantees to avoid the stigmatization of civic and non-governmental organizations.

Objective: transparency without hindering civil participation

The directive, proposed by the Commission and amended by MEPs, aims to ensure that interest representation activities conducted on behalf of third-country entities - governments, companies or foundations - are traceable, transparent and verifiable, without however creating a climate of suspicion or penalizing civil society.

“This directive does not impose blame, but only clarity,” explained the rapporteur. Adina Valean, MEP of the European People's Party (Romania).
"81% of European citizens say they're concerned about foreign money influencing our decisions. With this law, we're addressing that concern: citizens have the right to know who's speaking and with what resources."

The underlying principle is that of democratic responsibility: making sources of influence on European legislative processes visible without discouraging participation or criminalizing those who operate legitimately in public debate.

Which activities are covered by the new rules?

The new rules will apply to all interest representation activities — paid or otherwise remunerated — aimed at influence EU policies, laws or decisions.
These include:

• organizing or participating in meetings and conferences;
• submitting contributions to public consultations or hearings;
• communication campaigns, including through social media influencers;
• the drafting of position papers or proposed amendments;
• studies and surveys aimed at guiding the decision-making process.

I am instead excluded diplomatic activities, journalistic services, legal advice, academic research and all forms of cooperation that do not have lobbying purposes.
The deputies also pointed out that the funding received from civil society organizations (CSOs) in the context of projects or general donations will not be considered as “remuneration” for registration purposes, unless directly related to political advocacy initiatives.

Interconnected national registries: a European transparency system

The directive provides for the creation, in each Member State, of national registers managed by independent authorities, responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of the information provided by those who carry out lobbying activities on behalf of third countries.
These records shall be interconnected through a single European portal, accessible to the public, to ensure an overview of the influences exerted on the Union's decision-making process.

The Parliament insisted that registration should not be interpreted as a form of "filing" or "negative labelling": the aim, MEPs reiterate, it is not about blaming, but about making the relationships of influence transparent.

No risk of “foreign agent laws”

The approved text explicitly clarifies that the directive it is not inspired by the so-called "foreign agent laws" adopted in other countries and often used to limit civic liberties.
It cannot therefore be used to ban activities, repress non-governmental organizations, or impose transparency requirements on non-lobbying funding.

“We wanted to avoid any risk of stigmatization,” Vălean said.
“This instrument is not intended to raise suspicions about citizens, but to protect European democracy from external interference by setting minimum transparency standards that each Member State must respect.”

Next legislative steps

After the vote in the IMCO Committee, the text will be discussed at the November plenary session of the European Parliament (24-27 November, Strasbourg).
Only after the green light from the Chamber, and the adoption of a similar position by the Council, can the interinstitutional negotiations (trilogues) which will lead to the final version of the directive.

The rapporteur underlined that the consensus reached in the committee - across different political groups - represents "a strong signal of unity" on an issue that directly affects citizens' trust in European institutions.

Why a European directive was needed

To date, the regulation of lobbying has been left to the discretion of individual Member States, with systems heterogeneous and often incomplete.
Solo 16 EU countries have introduced transparency registers, many of which are voluntary in nature, generating competitive imbalances and regulatory gaps.
In this context, lobbying activities could easily move to countries with more permissive rules, evading more stringent controls elsewhere.

The new directive therefore aims to standardize the rules, ensuring that anyone attempting to influence European decision-making does so in a transparent, traceable manner and under the supervision of independent authorities.

A step forward for European democracy

The proposal arises from an increasingly urgent need: to protect the community institutions from external interference, especially in a geopolitical context marked by disinformation campaigns, economic pressure, and soft power operations by non-European actors.

For many observers, the directive represents a point of balance between the need to defend democracy and the need not to hinder the legitimate participation of businesses, universities, NGOs, and foundations that operate transparently and constructively.

If approved, the European Union will equip itself for the first time with a common legislative framework on transparency in international lobbying, strengthening citizens' trust and the credibility of the European democratic process.