Lobby Register report: Bundestag: One billion euros a year for lobbying

For lobbying at the federal level, associations, companies and other representatives of interest spent around one billion euros last year. This emerges from a report of the position that leads the lobby register of the Bundestag.

For 2024 financial expenses, it will be listed for personnel, material costs and representation of more than 910 million euros. According to the report, however, the total amount is likely to be somewhat higher, since some interest representatives such as employer organizations, unions and religious communities are excluded from the registration duty.

Rules were tightened in 2024

The lobby register has been led on the website of the German Bundestag since 2022. It should make it visible who influences political decisions and legislation. With a change in the law that came into force on March 1, 2024, the obligations to provide lobby activity were expanded. For example, contacts with employees from MPs and on department heads in Federal Ministry have also been recorded since then.

Which MPs a lobbyist spoke to with does not have to be listed. In order to disclose a possible “revolving door”, memberships, offices and functions in the Bundestag, the Federal Government or the Federal Administration have been queried for the past five years in the Federal Government, in the Federal Government or the Federal Administration.

Many want to influence decisions on the economy

“Economy” is the area of ​​interest that, according to register, is the most frequently named goal of lobbying. In the last place in the areas of interest was “environment”, followed by “science, research and technology” and “European policy and European Union”.

The aim of the Lobby Register Act, which came into force in its first version on January 1, 2022, is to establish transparency through interests. Before the registration was prescribed by law, there was only a list of associations in Germany in which one could be registered voluntarily at the Bundestag.

As of December 31, 2024, 26,998 people were named in the active lobby register. Around 95 percent of registered interest representatives are based in Germany. A little over 30 stakeholders are located in Belgium, the USA and the Netherlands.

“Scherz entries” deleted

Only in twelve cases “obviously abusive registry entries” were removed. According to the report, the report was “joke entries” and entries of people who probably thought that the lobby register served to maintain the attention of politicians.

As can be seen from the report, there are an average of around 21,900 access per week to the lobby register website, whereby access by computers of the Bundestag are not counted.

Do everyone adhere to the rules?

According to the information, a fine has been imposed in three out of 20 administrative offense procedures, which has been initiated by the register -leading position. Most of these procedures were therefore suspected that a representative of his duty to enter the lobby register had not complied. Some procedures have now been discontinued.

In addition, the registration body carried out a test procedure in which, according to the report, “due to the truthful claim of an actually inconvenient nearby relationship” to certain politicians, a “not inconsiderable violation” against the code of conduct specified in the Lobby Register Act was determined. The Auto-Lobbyverein Mobil in Germany, whose entry in the register therefore bears a red warning, is legally defending itself.

What interests companies?

Numerous companies are also listed in the lobby register.

The regulatory projects, for which Ikea Germany have become active, include, among other things, regulations on mattress recycling and the right of residence. According to the register, BASF was interested in the building energy network, for example, and the “Law on Planting on the market, the withdrawal and the high -quality recycling of packaging”.