The Ukrainian parliament has voted in favor of the draft law on lobbying in the 1st reading, which is actually the last of the requirements of the European Commission [EC]. Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a lawmaker from the “Holos” party faction, wrote on Telegram.

A total of 309 MPs voted in favor of the draft law, none voted against it. 15 abstained.

The adoption of the law is one of the 4 recommendations of the EC, which Ukraine had to complete by March, according to the November EC report on enlargement. This is actually the only remaining condition. The European Union’s assessment of the draft law adopted on Wednesday has not yet been made.

The draft law, among other things, proposes to define the following:

terminology with regard to lobbying;
rights and obligations of lobbying entities;
influence methods;
ethical behaviour rules for lobbying entities;
establishment of the Transparency Register, which is to be kept and administered by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention;
the procedure for registration in the Transparency Register and exceptions to it;
access to the Transparency Register (open and free of charge);
reporting of the lobbying entity to be entered in the Transparency Register;
mechanisms for controlling the activities of lobbying entities by monitoring compliance with lobbying legislation.

The purpose of the draft law is to ensure the legal framework for lobbying in Ukraine in accordance with international practices and standards, regulatory and legal regulation of the interaction between officials of state authorities and local self-government bodies with stakeholders and lobbying entities, establishing transparent mechanisms to ensure the activities of lobbying entities and officials of state authorities and local self-government bodies; and mechanisms to monitor lobbying activities.