Oversight of the Finnish Transparency Register in 2023–2026 – Report of the National Audit Office of Finland
The Transparency Register Act entered into force on 1 January 2024. Most of the registered actors have disclosed the required information to the register within the set time limits. During the first 2.5 years of the Transparency Register's operation, 1,303 actors have registered with it and disclosed a total of 16,554 subjects of lobbying or lobbying consultancy to it.
The purpose of the register is to increase the openness of government decision-making and to make systematic and long-term lobbying that targets it visible.
Through its oversight, the NAOF ensures that actors within the scope of the Act submit the required disclosures to the Transparency Register. The NAOF maintains the register and verifies its information. The NAOF may also investigate the accuracy of information in the register and actors' obligation to disclose their activities to it on the basis of news reports or tips from outsiders. In particular, the NAOF investigates suspicions of non-compliance that can significantly undermine the reliability of the register and the information it contains.
As the Transparency Register Act entered into force, the National Audit Office provided extensive advice and guidance on using it. The National Audit Office estimates that the use of the information contained in the Transparency Register is becoming more widespread and firmly established. The register has made lobbying activities targeted at the central government visible and consequently increased the transparency of government decision-making.
Main findings
Most of the registered actors have disclosed the required information to the register within the set time limits.
A significant number of actors needed the National Audit Office's guidance and advice to assess if they were subject to the disclosure obligation and to fill in their disclosures.
Using the register is becoming an established part of the activities of organisations that engage in lobbying and lobbying consultancy.
The information within the register is used more, and its use is becoming more firmly established, as the volume of information in the register grows and actors learn to make better use of it.
In 2024–2025, more than 38% of the actors registered with the Transparency Register did not engage in activities that had to be disclosed.
There are shortcomings in the National Audit Office’s supervisory powers and, in particular, its right to access information.
The Transparency Register Report 2023–2026 contains the report on the operation and oversight of the Finnish Transparency Register to be submitted to Parliament for each parliamentary term as well as the Annual report on the operation and oversight of the Finnish Transparency Register in 2025: