The Role of Professional Lobbying Associations in Self-Regulation of Lobbying

European professional lobbying associations have been instrumental in educating and training lobbyists and promoting a code of ethics for the lobbying profession. This chapter presents five case studies on the following professional lobbying associations which have played a significant role in the self-regulation of lobbying:The Public Relations Institute of Ireland:Founded in 1953, with just under 1 000 members, it is the leading public relations association in Ireland and has been a strong promoter of integrity standards for the lobbying profession.The Swedish Public Relations Association:The second largest national public relations association in Europe with more than 5 000 members, it conducts extensive research and provides training to lobbyists on issues relating to the conduct of lobbying and public relations.The Croatian Society of Lobbyists:One of the youngest professional lobbying associations in Europe, it has enacted its own Code of Ethics and disciplinary procedure and has been active in promoting not only self-regulation, but also government regulation.The UK Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the Association of Professional Political Consultants and the Public Relations Consultants Association:With collectively more than 9 000 individual members and more than 220 organisational members, they constitute the three premier lobbying associations in the UK with ample experience in education, training and self-regulation of the public relations and lobbying profession.The Society of European Affairs Professionals:The largest lobbying association in Brussels, it focuses on developing professional standards for lobbying the European Union institutions and was influential in the adoption of the European Transparency Initiative.