News
The regulation of interest representation (lobbying) has recently returned to the centre of the parliamentary agenda, with six bills presented by the PS, PSD, IL, Chega, PAN, and CDS, currently under discussion in the Assembly of the Republic. The debate, which took place in September, was marked by the urgency of strengthening transparency in the relationship between citizens, companies, and public decision‑makers.
In an article published in Observador, Francisco Pimenta, Senior Associate in the Compliance and Regulatory practice at CCA Law Firm, analysed the different proposals and warned of the risk of the country moving forward with a merely cosmetic regime, lacking effective enforcement mechanisms. The lawyer highlighted that the legislative initiatives diverge on essential aspects, such as the scope of the register, the obligation to disclose contacts and outcomes, or the supervisory model, stressing the importance of a mandatory, supervised, and sanction‑based system.
“One thing is certain: at a critical moment in the relationship between citizens and democratic institutions, defining the legal framework that regulates the process of influence is a political imperative.”
Francisco Pimenta concludes that Portugal faces a decisive choice: to follow the path of “light transparency”, with simplified registers and token sanctions, or to adopt a robust model, close to the German example, mandatory, supervised, and with real consequences. The implementation of an effective regime will be decisive in strengthening trust in institutions and protecting the democratic process.
- Read in full
- Observador