LOBBYING IN CYPRUS MUST COME OUT OF THE SHADOW

Lobbying in Cyprus remains unregulated and shrouded in secrecy. There is no legislation or regulation of lobbying activities. Due to the lack of any lobbying regulation, there is no specific obligation to register lobbyists or publicly disclose the interaction between public officials and lobbyists. There is also no self-regulation of lobbyists' activities and Cyprus has no professional association of lobbyists.

Although on paper lobbying does not exist, lobbying practices are simply happening in the shadow. There are a lot of individuals in Cyprus who are lobbying in an unofficial manner as a means of gaining access to public officials and luring influential people participating in the decision making processes by various means so they will defend specific interests.

While there are some laws in place which protect the right of information held by public institutions, Cyprus is currently the only country within the EU without general legislation or even a draft law on freedom of information. Although the right to access information is guaranteed in constitutional provisions on freedom of expression, the existing legal framework is severely flawed. There is currently no Information Commissioner or similar body responsible for oversight. As a result, in order to gain access to government documents, one must gain the authorisation from a Minister.

The lack of control mechanisms along with a lack of definition in regards to which lobbying activities are considered acceptable and what behaviour is forbidden, have led the term lobbying to be associated with negative connotations and closely connected with incidents of political corruption and transparency. Experts and stakeholders hold the view that by providing a definition to the term 'lobbying' within the legislative code, the government would essentially be trying to regulate lobbying as part of the laws to prevent political corruption. This would benefit elected and appointed officials who adhere to the principles of honesty and integrity as the unethical activities of officials would be exposed as corrupt conduct, thus distinguishing lobbying from corruption.

Currently in Cyprus the public does not have sufficient knowledge in reference to the lobbying of public representatives, what issues are being lobbied, when and how they are being lobbied, how much is being spent in the process and what is the result of the lobbying efforts. The lack of transparency in lobbying is the result of many factors including absence of and omissions in legislation. Due to the fact that citizens have no access to information regarding the undue influence of big business over key policy areas, those who perform lobbying activities are able to continue their profit-driven lobbying at the expense of the wider society.

Given the fact that most lobbying in Cyprus takes place at social events, a voluntary 'Transparency Register' made publicly available would be a step in the right direction. Public oficials would be able to provide information about who is trying to influence them and what they are lobbied for. A 'Transparency Register' would enable politicians, MPs and other public officials to be transparent and register information about the public policy area or legislative issues discussed between them and those engaged in lobbying. This would improve electorate accountability and improve the image of politicians in the country.

Although Cyprus has in place some legislation and good practices, which are closely related to safeguarding lobbying activities from corrupt practices, there is currently no consolidated legislation for lobbying. For lobbying in Cyprus to become a legitimate and a positive force, it must come out of the shadow. The Cypriot legal environment should be strengthened and a framework for fosteringh ethical lobbying should be provided for transparency and equal access of all interest groups to decisions made by policy makers, public representatives and high-ranking officials.