France

Finland

Austria

• Mandatory
• Broad definition of lobbying
• Only 137 lobbyists on the register. Each organization defines their own Code ofb Conduct
• Register of Lobbyists- Scope: Executive Branch
• Register categories: Identification, business registry number, field of activity, lobbying costs and revenues for intermediaries category.
• Limited information available

Recommendation

Information manipulation and disinformation manoeuvres by Russian actors currently serve well identified strategic objectives:  to legitimize Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, to undermine the cohesion of support for Ukraine, and to destabilize the societies of liberal democracies.

These actions target Ukraine first and foremost, but also Western public opinion and leaders as well as public opinions in third countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Russia has also recently stepped up its disinformation action in other regions, such as Latin America.

On February 23, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine “On Lobbying”. The law was signed by the President of Ukraine on 12 March 2024. For the first time in Ukraine, this law officially enshrines the term “lobbying” and the definition of related concepts, as well as establishes requirements for subjects conducting relevant activities, registration in the Transparency and Reporting Register, and restrictions on lobbying.

The concept of lobbying according to the adopted Law of Ukraine “On Lobbying”

In the propaganda war, Russia remains fully committed to conducting information operations around the globe, playing the long game to outlast any unity among Ukraine’s allies and until Ukraine loses its will to fight. Russia is attacking Western public support to fund Ukraine’s defense and it has expanded targeted propaganda efforts in different parts of the world, including Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

Russia’s tactic in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine is to persuade the Western powers to withhold aid to Kyiv. To do so, the Kremlin spreads propaganda to support pro-Russian political parties by using a network of spies and new technologies.

Pro-Russian forces in the EU are represented by either far-right nationalist or extreme left-wing socialist and communist parties. In certain countries, they receive substantial backing while in others they face exclusion and no parliamentary representation.

France

1. Open Russia Civic Movement, United Kingdom, April 27, 2017
2. Open Russia, United Kingdom, April 27, 2017
3. Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation, Romania, July 03, 2017
4. European Platform for Democratic Elections, Germany, March 13, 2018
5. International Elections Study Center, Lithuania, March 13, 2018
6. People in Need, Czech Republic, November 12, 2019
7. European Endowment for Democracy, Belgium, March 12, 2020
8. European Falun Dafa Association, United Kingdom, July 21, 2020

Ukraine

• Fighting corruption
• Law on staffing for the National Anti-Corruption Bureau
• Law regulating lobbying in line with European standards, as part of an anti-oligarch action plan
• Law addressing recommendations from the Venice Commission (an advisory body of the Council of Europe) in areas such as the language used by the state, media and education.

Moldova

Author: Jamie Shea, Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)