Democratic role of lobby

Abstract

In the current democratic system, communication is needed between political institutions and society, so that citizens do not feel displaced of the democratic process. One tool that makes connections between these two groups is the lobby, a public relations tool with which organizations, private or public, try to make positively influence to the political power and the legislative process. Therefore, the lobby has become a form of freedom of speech that promotes democracy. Even so, it still has a bad reputation among European society, which often relate to the influence peddling and corruption. To improve its image is necessary to regulate this activity. USA, unlike most European countries, has legislation about lobby activity. Meanwhile, the European Union published in 2005 the Green Paper, which gave some indications to support the transparency of this activity. To regulate lobby, the European Commission established a register of lobbyists and acceptance of a code of conduct on which activities were appropriate or not. Thus, ensuring the transparency of the lobby.