In this way, the lobby contacts of the MPs should become understandable

With new rules, the contacts between MPs and lobbyists should become more transparent. After the first vote on the change in the Chamber last week, it will be understandable in the future which MPs will meet with which representatives of interest. The previous transparency register did not allow such research. The following five questions and answers provide information about what changes – and why this is important.

Which meetings should be written down?

In a transparency register of the parliament, the encounters of the MPs are to be documented with lobbyists and interest groups. However, this only affects the planned discussions that were expressly requested or organized to influence the legislative work of the members of the Chamber of Deputy or the decision -making process of the chamber in a way « . Random encounters and party -internal discussions are excluded from the obligation to report.

Discussions with professional chambers, EU members and state institutions are also not subject to the obligation to register. It does not matter whether the conversations take place personally or by video conference. However, a mere call or a remark at an event, for example at the New Year’s reception, are excluded from this rule.

What data are entered in the register?

The date, the place of the meeting, the name of the MP and the interest group (including the company address) must be registered. In addition, the comment of the lobbyists in connection with the legislative work is to be described. When talking about a legislative project, this should be mentioned.

The interest groups should inform MPs all the necessary information before the conversation. If this does not happen, the parliamentarians should do without the meeting. MPs must inform Parliament this data within 15 days of the interview. These will then be published within six weeks.

The register is structured according to various criteria: according to groups, political orientation and in chronological order.

How long are the data kept?

In addition to the end of the legislative period, the data can be viewed on the Chamber website for three months. After this period, you will be saved in an intermediate file for five years. They remain accessible to every person who sends a written application to the President of the Chamber of Member.

Why does the new regulation come about?

In 2021, a transparency register for MPs was introduced. According to the regulation at the time, the MPs were not obliged to name the names of the persons involved or the topics mentioned.

In May 2024, MP Sam Tanson (Déi Gréng) called for an examination of the transparency register to check whether this « in its current form meets his own demands ».

In its report on the rule of law for Luxembourg, the EU Commission noted last year that the lobby register did not find important information and asked the Grand Duchy to revise it.

Is there such a transparency register for other politicians?

Government members have been obliged to do so since 2022To note the meeting with interest representatives in the register. So far, however, there are no transparency rule for municipal councils.

In response to a parliamentary question by André Bauler (DP), Interior Minister Léon Gloden (CSV) declared in April that changes to the « Code Déontologique Pour Le Secteur Communal » would be worked out in the current year. When asked by the « Luxemburger Word », the Ministry of the Interior announced that the amendments are expected to be submitted before the summer vacation.