The Law on Lobbying (draft Law on Fair Lobbying, Reg. No. 10337) defines the legal framework for lobbying in Ukraine as an activity carried out with the aim of influencing (attempting to influence) the object of lobbying in the commercial interests of the beneficiary (for remuneration received directly or indirectly and/or with payment of actual expenses necessary for its implementation) or in the person's own commercial interests and relating to the subject of lobbying.
The law defines:
- terminology in the field of lobbying;
- the scope of the Law, in particular, activities that are not lobbying in accordance with this Law;
- principles of lobbying;
- the establishment of the Transparency Register as an information and communication system that ensures the collection, accumulation, protection, accounting, display, processing and provision of information on lobbying entities and their reporting;
- legal basis of lobbying, in particular, lobbying methods, restrictions on the subject of lobbying, requirements to the lobbying agreement, rights and obligations of lobbying subjects and objects, as well as rights and obligations of the client under the lobbying agreement;
- reporting of the lobbying entity to the Transparency Register;
- monitoring of compliance with the requirements of the lobbying legislation, in particular, the accuracy of the information submitted by lobbying entities to the Transparency Register, as well as the accuracy of the information provided by lobbying entities in their reports, carried out by the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption within the powers and on the grounds specified by this Law and the Law of Ukraine “On Prevention of Corruption”.
The Law of Ukraine “On Lobbying” will regulate lobbying in Ukraine, reduce the level of corruption-prone factors in the planning, development and adoption of regulatory acts; ensure equal rights of citizens, civil society institutions and business to influence public authorities, their officials and employees in the adoption (participation in the adoption) of regulatory acts; enhance transparency and efficiency of public authorities, their officials and employees, in interaction with the above-mentioned stakeholders.
With the adoption of this Law, Ukraine has implemented the recommendation of the European Commission's Working Document “Report on Ukraine 2023” of 08 November 2023 to adopt a law regulating lobbying in accordance with European standards as part of the anti-oligarchic action plan. In addition, one of the recommendations of GRECO, the Council of Europe's anti-corruption monitoring body, to adopt a law that would regulate the relations of Ukrainian MPs with lobbyists and other third parties wishing to influence the legislative process was implemented.