Spain implements new lobbying regulation via decree-law

Spain has implemented a new regulation to govern lobbying activities through a royal decree-law. This measure follows long-standing recommendations from the European Union, the OECD, and the Council of Europe, and is linked to milestones within the national Recovery Plan.

The regulation establishes a mandatory, public state registry managed by the Council for Transparency and Good Governance. Interest groups must now identify themselves, report their activities, disclose funding sources, and declare their relationships with public officials. Additionally, public officials are required to make their meetings and contacts with interest groups transparent. The law also introduces a ‘normative footprint’ to track how specific proposals and meetings influence the drafting of legislation.

To ensure compliance, the decree introduces a sanctions regime. Very serious infractions can result in fines of up to 40,000 euros and registration disqualification for two to five years, while serious infractions may incur fines between 2,000 and 5,000 euros. The regulation applies to the General State Administration and its institutional public sector, though it does not extend to the parliamentary sphere. The decree now awaits validation by the Congress of Deputies.