site.btaParliament Passes Lobbying Activities Act at Final Reading

The National Assembly adopted here on Thursday at second reading the Lobbying Activities Act, renaming it the Transparency in Interest Representation Act from its originally proposed title, Transparency and Integrity in Governance Act.

"Interest representation" is defined as any oral or written communication carried out in support of public, group or private interests with the aim of influencing decision-making related to legislation, national strategic documents, Bulgaria’s positions on EU or international acts, or presidential decrees.

The law does not apply to communications by public officials acting within their powers, public authorities exercising legal competences, or individuals acting in a personal capacity.

The legislation covers interest representation before the National Assembly, the President and Vice President, the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister and ministers, regional governors, mayors, municipal councils, and other public bodies empowered to adopt legal and administrative acts.

A Transparency Register will be established at the National Audit Office as an electronic database of registered entities. Its Chair will submit an annual report to Parliament by April 30.

Institutions will regulate and publish procedures for meetings with interest representatives, which must be recorded in a public calendar, including date, participants and subject discussed.

Sanctions are set at EUR 1,000 to EUR 2,500 for individuals and EUR 2,500 to EUR 7,500 for legal entities that fail to register, with doubled penalties for repeat violations.

The register will exchange data automatically with national databases, including BULSTAT and the Commercial Register.

Registered entities must disclose annually the funds spent on interest representation, either in activity reports or in a separate declaration filed in the relevant registers.