AALEP INVITED TO THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

AALEP has been invited to attend a special hearing of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs on interest group's activities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to be held on 24 January 2012.

The outcome of the discussion could be introduced in the Committee's report and serve as a guideline for a number of states' parliaments that are striving to set up their own code of conduct. The code proposed by the Parliamentary Assembly will address the issue of interest group activities and subsequently the access of these groups to the Parliamentary Assembly premises.

From AALEP's perspective for a parliament to be open, means most obviously that its proceedings are physically open to the public. It should be possible to strike a balance between openness and security issues, in such a way that parliament is manifestly seen to belong to the people as a whole and not just to its members.

Access, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Information and Media Regulation, can all contribute to a better informed citizenry.

Citizens cannot hope to influence parliaments unless they are first fully informed about what they are doing. It should be possible to put together a list of good practice for parliaments seeking to involve the public, both as individuals and as organisations, in legislation and other committee work of parliament. It might include:

• a publicly available register of interest representatives, organised by subject of interest as well as alphabetically;
• a similar register of experst;
• effective publicity through different media giving due notice of forthcoming parliamentary bills, enquiries, public hearings etc.,
• targeted invitations to relevant organisations and experts, including representatives of marginalised groups as appropriate, to make submissions or give evidence;
• procedures for tabling submissions from individual citizens;
• a handbook and/or training sessions on how to make submissions or give evidence to parliamentary bodies;
• a public record available online of all submissions made;
• public hearings arranged in local centres, with written summaries of oral evidence.

Regarding access it should be possible to register interest group representatives in a database and upon such registration to issue a special badge which interest group representatives will have to wear when they are in the parliament. This badge would show the interest group representative's name, his/her photograph, the name of his/her employer or the organisation he/she represents. In the United States, already 14 states require lobbyists to wear badges. This seems a better alternative than simply shutting the door to interest group representatives and/or restricting their access to the premises and creating so-called 'security zones'.   One thing is for certain: The matter of access to parliamentary premises should not be solely delegated to the people in charge of security but decided jointly between the college of quaestors and the security.