On September 1, the Law of Ukraine "On Lobbying" came into force, officially introducing rules for interaction between business and government. Its adoption is seen as an important step towards European standards of transparency, as activities that have been carried out informally for years are now regulated through an open register, regular reporting, and oversight by the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP).
Along with positive innovations, there are also challenges:
- Unclear criteria for defining the concepts of "lobbying" and "commercial interest." As a result, even public or charitable organizations that promote socially important initiatives may be formally classified as lobbying entities. This creates the risk of additional restrictions and financial sanctions and could potentially hinder their advocacy activities.
- The law assigns key monitoring and sanctioning functions to the NACP, but does not oblige state bodies to fully disclose information about their contacts with lobbyists. This asymmetry may reduce the expected transparency effect and create additional risks for independent organizations.
The new legislation lays the groundwork for regulating lobbying practices, but at the same time, it contains provisions that may have a deterrent effect. The UCIPR team will continue to monitor the implementation of the law and report on its impact on the public sector.