Spain has introduced penalties of up to €40,000 for lobbying groups, along with bans from official registers, under a new decree tightening transparency and oversight in public affairs. Real Decreto-ley 21/2026, published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado, was approved by the Council of Ministers after legislative gridlock in Congress left the government looking for another route to implement the measure.
The new regulation requires all lobbying entities to register and keep records of their activities and members up to date, along with their contacts with public officials. Failure to comply can bring sanctions ranging from formal warnings for minor breaches to severe penalties, including removal from the register and a five-year ban on reapplying. The decree targets serious misconduct, from exerting undue influence through favors to encouraging officials to break the law. Submitting false information or operating without registration also falls within its scope.
Public officials and those in advisory roles must report all meetings and interactions with lobbyists within one month. Lobbying groups, meanwhile, must keep registration details current and disclose members with prior government roles. The information must appear on their corporate websites and be reported biannually to the Council for Transparency and Good Governance.
The Asociación de Profesionales de las Relaciones Institucionales (APRI) welcomed the move, calling it a impressive step for democratic quality and legal certainty in Spain. The association’s president, Carlos Parry, said clear rules were needed to encourage trust between civil society and public authorities. The profession, he noted, had advocated for such regulation for over 15 years.
The decree also introduces a two-year cooling-off period for former senior officials, barring them from lobbying on matters related to their previous areas of responsibility. Breaching this rule or meeting with unregistered lobbying groups counts as a serious infraction. An exception applies if the group is in the process of registration and the meeting is reported to the Council for Transparency and Good Governance.
These measures bring Spain in line with standards set by the European Union and the OECD. They also align the country with the Council of Europe’s GRECO group, and aim to reinforce public integrity and accountability. The government’s action fulfills a commitment made by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez after the Cerdán case in July 2025, which intensified calls for stricter oversight of lobbying practices.
Under the decree, the mandatory register must identify all individuals and organizations involved in each lobbying group. It must describe their influence activities and record members with prior public-sector roles. The register must also detail compliance monitoring systems and provide a full account of all interactions with officials. The information is intended to remain transparent and regularly updated, both online and with the relevant oversight body.
The government’s decision to bypass Congress and enact the rules by decree followed months of stalled negotiations. As previously reported, Spain’s move to establish a mandatory public register for lobbying groups answered persistent demands for greater transparency in state administration. The full background on this legislative shift is available in the article on Spain’s adoption of the mandatory lobby register.
Lobbying regulation has become a central issue in many European countries, and Spain has joined a growing list of states enforcing strict disclosure and compliance requirements. The new Spanish structure is designed to close loopholes and prevent conflicts of interest. It also places influence activities under public scrutiny. Through impressive penalties and clear reporting obligations, the government aims to build a culture of openness and trust between civil society and public institutions.
