Overview
The legislative file 2023/0463(COD) concerns a proposal for a directive establishing harmonised requirements in the internal market on transparency of interest representation carried out on behalf of third countries. The procedure is ongoing, with the European Parliament's current status being "Awaiting Parliament's position in 1st reading". The analysis is based on the European Parliament's consolidated summary of amendments (P10_TA(2025)0306), which details the extensive modifications made to the Commission's original proposal. The initiative aims to create a framework for greater transparency regarding activities intended to influence policymaking or public opinion within the EU on behalf of non-EU countries.
Legislative timeline
The legislative process began with the referral to the European Parliament's committee on 25 January 2024. The committee adopted its report on 16 October 2025, following a series of procedural steps including the tabling of opinions and amendments. The file was subsequently tabled for plenary sessions on 24 October, 19 November, and 24 November 2025. Recent events include a plenary amendment and vote on 27 November 2025, with the results of that vote recorded on the same date. The next steps involve the Parliament finalising its first-reading position.
Institutional handling
The lead committee in the European Parliament is the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). On the Commission side, the responsible department is the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (JUST), under Commissioner Didier Reynders. Within the Council of the European Union, the file is handled by the Competitiveness Council configuration (COMPET).
Stakeholder reactions
Stakeholder engagement during the legislative process has been notable, with 34 documented meetings. Of these, 33 were with Members of the European Parliament and one was with European Commission staff. The outreach involved 14 distinct organisations. The most active organisations in these engagements include the Transparency International Liaison Office to the European Union, Civil Society Europe, and LobbyControl.
Media coverage
Media coverage of transparency and related rule-of-law issues in the EU context has been recorded in 17 news articles from 13 countries, including Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, and Hungary. One article references cases flagged by the Council of Europe platform affecting Romanian investigative journalists, situating them within broader European concerns about strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). Another article discusses EU efforts to curb such abusive lawsuits, potential penalties for non-transposition of directives, and a specific lawsuit in Spain. Separate coverage notes a challenge by a Hungarian ombudsman to an EU rule on political advertising over potential constitutional conflicts.