The Commission has always been an institution
open to input from special interest groups. The Commission
believes this process to be fundamental to the development
of sound and workable policies. This dialogue has proved
valuable to both the Commission and to interested outside
parties. The Commission acknowledges the need for such outside
input, welcomes it and intends to build further on this
practice in future. To this end the Commission is taking
a series of measures intended to broaden participation in
the preparation of its decisions.
In the context of this wider dialogue,
the Commission believes that there should be a broad understanding
with special interest groups on some basic rules of conduct.
Over the course of many years, both have followed principles
of conduct which the Commission would like to see the special
interest groups continue to adhere to. The Commission feels
that special interest groups are best placed to establish
and enforce codes of conduct. The Commission therefore invites
the sectors concerned to draw up such codes, which should
include the following minimum requirements.
1. Public presentation
Special interest groups should not misrepresent themselves
to the public by the use of any title, logo, symbol or form
of words (particularly those employed by the Commission)
designed either to lend false authority to the representative
or to mislead clients and/or officials as to his or her
status.
2. Behaviour
Special interest groups should behave at
all times in accordance with the highest possible professional
standards. Honesty and competence in all dealings with the
Commission are specifically viewed as being of the greatest
importance.
Special interest groups should avoid working
in situations where a conflict of interests is either inevitable
or likely to arise.
The representative should declare the name
of the client for whom he or she is working each time he
or she consults the Commission.
In any communication with the Commission
(either written and/or oral), the representative should
declare all previous contact he or she has had with other
representatives of the Commission regarding the same or
a related subject.
Special interest groups should neither
employ, nor seek to employ, officials who are working for
the Commission. Nor should they offer any form of inducement
to Commission officials in order to obtain information or
to receive privileged treatment.
3. Dissemination
of Commission information
Special interest groups should not disseminate
misleading information.
Special interest groups should not obtain
information by dishonest means.
Special interest groups should not seek
to trade copies of Commission documents for profit.
4. Organizations
The establishment of one or more organizations,
through which special interest groups would communicate
with the Commission, would be welcomed. Such an organization
should be open to all representatives of special interest
groups and it is therefore hoped that an individual firm's
subscription can be in proportion to its relative size.
Commission's Communication of 2nd Decembre 1992
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