Mr. János Bertók:

It is a great privilege to be available to provide some insights. We are very happy to share some lessons and experiences from other countries. The OECD covers the 34 most industrialised nations. Very few countries within this group have introduced legislation or government regulations in this area. Less than one third of OECD member countries have experience in this regard. The United States which has been active in this area for more than half a century is one of the few countries with long-lasting experience. Canada has more than 20 years of experience. Some of the countries in Europe have started this process more recently. There has been an acceleration in this respect in the last year or so as many countries - most recently, Austria - have considered and passed laws. I am sure members of the committee are aware that the UK Government has brought a proposal to that country's parliament with regard to introducing legislation on lobbying.

I would like to highlight the political difficulty associated with the subject of lobbying.

I congratulate the joint committee on taking this very brave and forward-looking step because experience shows that countries are generally pushed by certain scandals or circumstances into making legislation. For this reason, if one takes a forward-looking approach, one has a much better chance of providing a proportionate response to address the key concerns. Experience shows that if countries or governments are under pressure, they tend to take an approach that overshoots, as it were, as they seek to re-establish trust. Experience does not show, however, that such legislation has an immediate impact.

Process and results are of equal importance. Experience shows that the implementation of this type of legislation starts with the definition. Consultation and debate are needed to achieve a wider consensus on the definitions and understanding how the legislation will operate in daily circumstances.

I thank the joint committee. I look forward to responding to members' questions or providing further insights and details in respect of certain issues.