Lobbyists to lobby for themselves as Brussels changes the rules

Lobbyists frequently rule Brussels and after years of promising to take action, the European Commission is to introduce a register of the 15,000 or so working daily in the EU capital.

They are being asked to say whom they represent and how much they are paid. No strong and independent body has been established to oversee them or check that what they say agrees with the facts.

The register, to come into force in March, is a voluntary one and will apply to any group that wants access to the Commission and Parliament to lobby. They will be asked to declare relevant budget figures and breakdown on major clients and funding sources.