The European Parliament (EP) announced on Tuesday that at present it has 4,570 accredited lobbyists, many of which are NGOs and pressure groups such as amnesty international. Trade associations, regions, cities and companies (for example British Airways) constitute the rest, according to an EP statement.The EP is currently preparing a report on how EU institutions should deal with lobbyists, whereas it currently owns a "Code of Conduct" that says that lobbyists must clearly state who they represent when dealing with Members of the European Parliament and staff and refrain from offering any gifts. Early in 2007, the European Commission decided to set up a voluntary register, where lobbyists declare who they are and how they are funded.
| The key word here being "voluntary". |