Lobbyists, Governments and Public Trust, Volume 2
Promoting Integrity through Self-regulation
This second volume of OECD's study on lobbying examines regulation and self-regulation of lobbying. It includes chapters defining and examining lobbying, describing the role of professional lobbying associations, exploring various codes of conduct and examining specific codes in various countries, examining lobbyists' attitudes toward regulation and self-regulation, and exploring various options for enhancing transparency and accountability.
Codes of Conduct for Lobbyists
Considered as the least coercive means of regulating lobbying, codes of conduct for lobbyists constitute a valuable instrument in providing meaningful and concrete guidance on how to conduct lobbying without unwittingly falling into unethical situations.This chapter provides an overview of the evolution of ethic codes from general and grand principles of morality to more specific behavioural codes of conduct. The chapter shows how more recently, professional lobbying associations and public relation associations in Europe have tailored ethics rules to address specific concerns of the lobbying profession. The chapter ends by reviewing the effectiveness of codes of conduct and outlining the necessary elements for a successful ethics code.