ASSESSMENT LOBBY RULES/GREECE

Greece

• Mandatory
• Narrow definition
• Law exists since 2021 including register but enforcement is very limited with only 17 registrations so far.
• Register Scope: Legislative and Executive
• Register categories: Identification, areas of interests
• Limited Information provided
• Public access
• Code of Conduct
• Independent authority overseeing activities.

Rules to regulate lobbying are in force but progress to implement an effective register has been slow.

Note

In Greece, Law 4829/2021 adopted on September 10th, 2021 on “Strengthening Transparency and Accountability of State Institutional Bodies” introduces for the first time an effective regulatory framework that governs the interaction between politicians and public officials with interests’ representatives. This is the first attempt of Greece to cover the relevant legislative and institutional gap which has been repeatedly highlighted by international and European organizations in the context of various country evaluations.

The Law establishes a Transparency Register that is held at the National Transparency Authority (NTA) where lobbyists have the obligation to register and submit their annual declaration on lobbying activities by declaring: i) the policy area, ii) the decision for which they exercised lobbying activities, iii) the name of the person who exercised lobbying activities and the name of the client, iv) the method used and v) the politician/public official targeted. The Law also forbids current members of the legislature and the executive and their spouses to act as lobbyists and at the same time, it restricts former members to engage in lobbying consulting for a period of 18 months after leaving office.