Lobbying compliance and transparency registers
Transparency is not a risk. The risk is having to produce it after the fact.
Registration, codes of conduct and internal rules for companies that maintain political contacts.
What it is about
Most compliance problems in the political sphere arise not from bad intent but because nobody in the company knew a registration duty existed.
Austria and the EU run separate registers with different criteria. The Austrian act distinguishes four categories, each with its own duties. The EU transparency register is a precondition for access to Commission and Parliament. Anyone active in both systems needs both entries, and they do not overlap.
Alongside that, internal rules are needed: who may hold political conversations for the company, how are they documented, which invitations may be accepted, how are former officials handled. Settling that in advance is considerably more comfortable than doing it under pressure.
The points that decide
Austria
Four register categories, each with its own reporting and disclosure duties.
EU register
Precondition for meetings and access badges, updated annually.
Internal rules
Who speaks, how it is documented, what may be accepted.
Revolving door
Former officials are subject to cooling-off periods and reporting duties.
How we work on it
Professional Analysis & Monitoring
Curated monitoring of initiatives, draft legislation and public debate - assessed against your business goals.
Stakeholder & Network
Simply "knowing" people adds nothing. Robust relationships of trust with decision-makers do.
High-Level Strategy & Campaigning
A business strategy becomes a communications programme that reaches its goals faster.
Frequently asked
Who must register in Austria?
Lobbying firms, companies with in-house lobbyists, self-governing bodies and interest associations, each in a separate part of the register. What counts is whether the activity regularly involves contacting public officials in order to influence decisions.
What happens if the rules are breached?
The act provides for administrative fines and removal from the register. The practical consequence weighs more: an unregistered firm may not carry out lobbying, and a public official who notices will end the contact.
Related focus areas
Lobbying Vienna
Professional interest representation under the Austrian Lobbying and Interest Representation Transparency Act, since 2007.
Open pageRegulatory affairs
Communication with regulators and supervisory authorities, from consultation to live proceedings.
Open pagePublic affairs Brussels
Advice at the Commission, Parliament and Council from an office on Avenue Louise, coordinated with the national work in Vienna.
Open page
Facing an issue in this sector?
A first conversation usually settles quickly whether and how we can help.