Industry Consensus: Business and Professional Communities Oppose Proposed "Lobbyist" Professional Standard

On 1 April 2026, the Ukrainian Lobbying Association (ULA), alongside leading Ukrainian business organizations including the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), the European Business Association (EBA), and the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs (SUP)—participated in an inaugural working meeting hosted by the National Qualifications Agency.

During the session, the coalition presented a unified stance opposing the proposed introduction of a formalized professional standard for the title of "lobbyist." Participants emphasized that lobbying is a highly complex, multi-faceted practice that cannot be reduced to a rigid professional template.

"Lobbying is a dynamic and strategic profession that blends negotiation, deep analysis, communication, and various other forms of expertise that simply cannot be confined to a fixed list of criteria," said Anna Lachykhina, Chair of the Board of the Ukrainian Lobbying Association. "In any given scenario, a lobbyist must draw on a unique set of competencies. That is precisely why attempts to 'standardize' this work are fundamentally at odds with its nature."

The discussion highlighted that the gold standard of lobbying regulations across democratic nations—from the United States to the European Union—rests on three pillars: a public lobbyist registry, mandatory reporting, and strict conflict-of-interest rules.

Participants noted that these core principles are already fully integrated into Ukrainian legislation through the existing Lobbying Law, the Code of Ethical Conduct, and the Transparency Register. Together, these existing tools already clearly define who can lobby, the rules for conducting lobbying activities, and the specific grounds for losing lobbyist status.