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If the President signs the law, effective January 1, 2021, business associations must register as lobbyists. This will not be done by public benefit non-governmental organizations, public legal entities that serve the public interest.
Vytautas Bakas, a representative of the mixed group of Seimas members, suggested that non-governmental organizations should be notified of lobbying activities, but Seimas did not want to consider their initiative.
Sigismund Gedvila photo / 15min / Vytautas Bakas
Now only lobbyists should make statements about the impact on the legislative process, but Seimas has decided that they should also be filled in by politicians.
The president, the members of the Seimas, the government, the vice-ministers, the governors, the chancellors of the ministries, the heads of the parliamentary political parties, the mayors, the members of the municipal councils, the directors of the municipal administrations and their deputies They must declare lobbying for each bill.
People will have to do it no later than seven days after lobbying for particular legislation.
The heads of the institutions shall inform public officials, other public officials or persons involved in the preparation of the draft legal acts on the lobbying activities carried out on them with respect to each draft legal act.
This is expected to significantly improve the transparency of the legislative process.
“The public has many positive expectations regarding the adoption of this bill. They imagine that this will significantly improve the transparency of the legislative process, reduce all illegal influences on that process,” said conservative Jurgis Razma prior to the adoption of the new wording of the law.
It is true that he added that due to the obligation to declare the impact of lobbyists in the legislative process, Seimas members “will have problems.”
“And I think Ramūnas Karbauskis is really smiling, because he, as the head of Agrokoncernas, who has all kinds of interests, will not have to make a special effort to declare how he discusses those interests with the member of Seimas, Ramūnas Karbauskis,” added J Razma with a smile.
Photo by Josvydas Elinskas / 15min / Eugenijus Gentvilas
Liberal Eugene Gentville noted how the lobbying law was passed.
“The adoption of the law itself shows gaps in our legislation. He was in a drawer for perhaps a year before Valdas Sutkus was arrested. And then, applause, shouting that the opposition, I know, will annoy us, but R. Karbauskis will resolutely present this bill. This is how we have a project, “said the politician.
Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, the leader of the Liberal Movement, emphasized that this was a “memorial law” and that it was a hole that needed to be repaired.
Today, it is provided by people who do not record any meetings with lobbyists in a few months.
“Today it is provided by people who do not record any meetings with lobbyists in a few months. This shows a certain hypocrisy. And do you think that every message received through a messenger, social networks will be feverishly declared by the same people?
Povilas Urbšys, a member of the mixed group of Seimas members, equated the new wording of the Lobbying Law with a deodorant, which “though would improve the smell before the elections.” He called the lobbying cross statement a decorative one. According to P. Urbšis, this will not help lobbyists and politicians to control.
61 Seimas members voted in favor of the amendments to the Lobbying Law, 8 and 26 deputies abstained. Only the opposition faction of the Liberal Movement voted unanimously on the amendments, and its members voted against or abstained. Opinions differed in the other groups.
You can check how each Seimas member voted here.
The new version of the Lobbying Law was presented to the Seimas by the ruling “peasants” after the police initiated a corruption case. He suspects that the heads of two business organizations are suspected of lobbying-related crimes.
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