Overview
- The government approved the Real Decreto-ley on August 25 to create a public, mandatory, electronic register of interest groups after a dedicated lobbies bill stalled in the Congress.
- The register will require groups to disclose identity, activity, funding and whether members held public office in the past five years, and it will be accessible through the Portal de la Transparencia.
- Public officials defined as susceptible to influence, including advisers and trusted staff, must publish all meetings with registered groups on the transparency portal within one month of the contact.
- The Consejo de Transparencia y Buen Gobierno will manage the register and lead sanction procedures under a regime that classifies violations as very serious, serious or minor.
- The decree adopts parliamentary amendments, aims to align Spain with EU, OECD and GRECO standards, and the published text also restricts ex-high officials from lobbying on matters tied to their former department for two years.