Topic Guide: Undue Influence

Lobbying Guidelines. Sunlight Foundation, 2014. http://sunlightfoundation.com/policy/lobbying/guidelines/  

The Sunlight Foundation has created these guidelines to help policymakers and advocates improve lobbying disclosure to provide a meaningful check and balance on the world of influence. They are intended to be a conversation starter and have gone through several revisions based on discussions.  

Lobbying Transparency via Right to Information Laws. Access Info, 2013. www.access-info.org/documents/Access_Docs/Advancing/Lobbying_Transparency_Via_RTI_Laws_EN.pdf  

This paper discusses the key categories of information to which the public should have access in order to increase transparency of lobbying. The ideal scenario is that this information is published proactively and that, where relevant, it is made clear which decision making processes are affected. In all cases, the information should be available under the right of access to information. The classes of information to be made available to the public include: information regarding meetings between public officials and lobbyists, all documents received by a public body from interest groups, input to and evaluations of all public consultations, declarations of conflict of interest, and the entry register to the parliament, among others.  

Resolution 1908 (2010) on lobbying in a democratic society. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), 2010. http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/XRef/X2H-DW-XSL.asp?fileid=17832&lang=EN  

This resolution is a recommendation from the Council of Europe in relation to lobbying in member states. It proposes six principles essential to properly and clearly identify, control and enforce fair and transparent lobbying regimes.