Lobbying in Romania between utopia and legislative framework

Abstract

The regulation of lobbying is a topic of increasing debate in many European countries, not just those in the West. The significance of lobbying regulation is its capacity to promote dialogue between government officials and stakeholders, while also promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity in decision-making processes in democratic societies. Enacting lobbying laws, which require lobbyists to register, disclose their activities, expenditures, clients, and interactions with government officials, is necessary to ensure the legitimacy of the lobbying process. Both ethical and legal dimensions are integral to this process, and the paper takes a two-fold approach by examining the legislative framework for lobbying regulation in Romania within the context of the European Union, while also considering the ethical perspective. The ethical and legal dimensions of lobbying are interconnected, and both are vital in guaranteeing the legitimacy and integrity of the lobbying process. The research argument is supported by a theoretical background through the utilization of qualitative research in the paper.

Keywords

• ethical dimension
• legislative framework
• lobbying