The government on Thursday sent to parliament a bill on lobbying, which will regulate lobbying in Croatia for the first time and envisages the establishment of a public register of lobbyists at the Conflict of Interest Commission.

The bill regulates lobbying as a legal and legitimate activity with clear principles, rules, obligations and sanctions, in line with international standards and guidelines as well as recommendations which Croatia received in a report on the rule of law and from GRECO, the Council of Europe anti-corruption body, Justice Minister Ivan Malenica said.

The bill is part of the ministry’s actions under the 2030 Corruption Prevention Strategy and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, he said, adding that it is an important step in the creation of an anti-corruption policy and prevention.

The bill also stipulates what is not considered lobbying, Malenica said.

The establishment of a public register of lobbyists at the Conflict of Interest Commission will strengthen its role as an independent anti-corruption body, he said, adding that lobbyists will have to submit annual reports to the Commission.

The bill provides for sanctions to be imposed by the Commission, including a ban on lobbying for a period of time, removal from the register, and fines, including for lobbyists not in the register ranging from €500 to €5,000 for physical persons and from €2,000 to €20,000 for legal entities.