The Brussels Business Page #7

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I'd say we have received two letters

with, 'Thank you, very interesting.'

But no substantial response.

So we sent a similar letter to all the

Vice-Presidents of the Commission.

And suddenly, towards

the end of February ...

... we were contacted by

the office of Siim Kallas, ...

... commissioner from Estonia

responsible for administration ...

... inviting us

to come over.

So we went to

Mr. Kalas's office ...

... which was somewhere

on top of the building.

We didnt know what we had

to expect from this meeting.

We have never been approached

by a commissioner ...

... so in this sense,

it was very exciting.

We were welcomed

by Mr. Kalas himself ...

... and one of his

cabinet members and ...

... in his hands Mr. Kalas

had a brochure and ...

... that makes us smile.

It was the lobby plan of guide

to Brussels which was a ...

... cheap but very critical look at

industry lobbying in the EU, ...

... written by Erik and me

and our colleagues.

When I started as

administration commissioner ...

... I really saw that there

was so big suspicions ...

... surrounding

decision-making in the EU.

And of course I put

certain ... let say ...

... established for myself a purpose

to little reduce this suspicions.

Kalas told us that he

was going to launch ...

... this European

transparency initiative, ...

... and we immediately saw that

it was a big political opportunity.

As an outsider to the Brussels

business he also had a clear sence ...

... for how the ordinary citizen

thought about Brussels.

I Siim Kallas took it on

with a lobby industry.

European Commission

is convinced ...

... that activities of the interests

representatives are legitimate ...

... and offer valuable input in to

the decision-making process.

But things have to happen

in a transparent manner.

The Commission consideres

that it is important to know ...

... whose interests

representatives are?

What interests they represent? And

against what financial background?

I put a lot of effort to create

a speach and this is of course ...

... outlined. The main principles

of transparency initiative ...

... which should be done.

And it was of

course met ...

... with excitement and a

lot of controversial reactions.

When is a lawyer, a lawyer

and when is a lawyer, lobbyist?

When the EU was considering

European transparency initiative ...

... they were looking for some advices

to how some of these achievements ...

... happened in the US.

And as a result I was brought

about half a dozen times to testify ...

... before the European Commission

and the European Parliament.

So one of my first testimonies

before the European Commission ...

... was very, very

awakening experience.

I had one commissioner

interrupt me and say, ...

... 'Well, we understand you had

a problem in the United States ...'

'... with lobbying activities

and Jack Abramof, ...'

... but he went

on to say, ...

... 'But you know, this is

Brussels and this is Europe.'

'We dont have that kind

of activities going on here.'

'We do not have Jack

Abramof's in Europe.'

Which just kind

of floored me.

That anyone could be so

naive and actually believe that.

Michael Moore perhaps

effective answer was, 'Ok ...'

' ... all concieved that a lot of

this case street lobbyists ...'

'... and the professional

lobbyists here in the US ...'

'... may be corrupt.'

'However, I know every

major case-street lobby shop ...'

'... also has a lobby

shop in Brussels.'

'And so, we are in your bed.

Dont you want to know ...'

'... if you think that

we so corruptible ...'

'... and so corrupting, ...'

'... dont you want to know who we

are and who is paying for us ...'

' ... and what it is we trying

to get you to do for us?'

To tell the truth, I was very

impressed with Siim Kallas ...

... when I first started to work with

him in the European Commission.

Siim Kallas helped

really ushered ...

... the whole significance

of needing transparency.

But, halfway through

the process ...

... Siim Kallas came up

against political realities.

After three years of struggle

and political fight ...

... exhausted commissioner

Kalas enter the stage ...

... to finally launch

lobby register.

It is noon.

Or afternoon.

So quite remarcable

moment today.

Three years ago, I proposed to

setup a register of lobbyists ...

... in order to enhance transparency

and legitimacy around ...

... EU decision-making process

and the register starts from today.

So, we proposed

voluntary solution ...

... because I am convinced

that this would suit for all.

All expectations.

I think that today is a very important

moment of cultural change ...

... concerning these ...

... these aspects of decision-making

in European institutions.

Siim Kallas introduced

voluntary system.

Against all recommendations

by NGO's and experts.

This was the best

he could get.

We've tried for over two

years now to find out ...

... who have blocked

Kallases original intention?

Were it other

commissioners?

The Commission Secretariat?

Lobbyists themselves?

We do not know.

But shortly after, ...

... at the annual award ceremony

of the lobby industry ...

... the winner of the

Think tank of the year ...

... had a clear message

for Mr. Kallas.

I know I'm not mention it in

speeches, but I'm going to.

Because I

wanted to say ...

... we, 'Friends of Europe'

were not sure ...

... whether our efforts are

worth. And I'll tell you why.

Because commissioner

Kallas ...

... who cant tell

the difference ...

... between Think

tank and lobbyists.

I thought that we in

business, we now ...

... 'Friends of Europe'

and other Think tanks, ...

... we provide a platform for

a different points of view ...

... and use them for

the benefit of people.

To help them towards

these different point of view.

And mine view is that ...

... your award means a lot for us

from the 'Friends of Europe' ...

... because you are the

guys who really know ...

... how European

political errand ...

... should be shaped

and how shaping it.

So thank

you very much.

One month after the

financial crisis started ...

... in October 2008.,

Jose Manuel Barroso ...

... appointed an independent high

level group on financial supervision.

The group was to

work up proposals ...

... for the regulation of

the financial markets ...

... and to find way out

from the financial crisis.

Eight so-called wise man

were appointed to this group.

Jacques de la Roche, Rainer Masera,

Onno Ruding, Otmar Issing, ...

... Keller McCarthy, Leszek Balcerovitz,

Jose Perez Fernandez and Lars Nuger.

We looked into the independence

of this independent group ...

... and we've found

some astonishing things.

De la Roche is representative

of the financial lobby organization.

Masera is linked to

Lehman Brothers.

Ruding to Citi Group.

Issing to Goldman Sachs.

McCarthy, Nuger and Balcerovitz

are notorious deregulators.

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