Iryna Shapovalova: the lobbying market has started, but without a separate KVED and with risks for the public sector

Kyiv, October 10, 2025. The Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association (UNLA) has commented on the first results of the Lobbying Transparency Register. According to the NACP, the registry already contains 84 lobbying entities, with a significant share of law firms and individual attorneys. At the same time, Iryna Shapovalova, Deputy Head of the UNLA Board, emphasizes that the market was launched without key technical solutions and with a number of regulatory risks.

“The state has not yet defined a separate NACE for lobbying activities. Formally, the work of lobbyists is classified as “public relations,” but this does not correspond to the legal status of the lobbying entity defined by law. UNLA is already working on the introduction of a separate code, because this is a matter of professional status, correct state registration and tax administration, and most importantly, a clear distinction from related activities,” emphasized Iryna Shapovalova.

Shapovalova also drew attention to the conflict of interest in the case of registration of organizations whose ultimate beneficiary is related to the state as lobbying entities.

“The example of the state-owned Oschadbank shows that we need clear safeguards. The law directly restricts the participation of state beneficiaries in lobbying. When a state-owned entity tries to act as a lobbyist, there is a risk of overlapping state and commercial interests. This issue should be regulated transparently and unambiguously,” she said.

Trends of the first month

• The register includes both industry associations (agricultural, innovative, industrial) and large international companies (including tobacco producers and retailers).
• The most active areas of lobbying (according to the NACP) are economic and regulatory policy, finance and taxes, law enforcement, innovation and digital transformation, and infrastructure.
• A significant share of new members are lawyers and law firms, which is expected: legal expertise and experience in interacting with the authorities are basic competencies for professional lobbying.

UNLA’s position

NALU supports the introduction of regular reporting, NACP’s control over the accuracy of data, and the unification of standards of openness in interaction with the authorities. The Association’s priorities for the near future:

1. A separate Classifier of Economic Activities for lobbying activities as a basis for professional identification and tax regime.
2. Clear rules for the participation of state-owned entities to eliminate potential conflicts of interest.
3. A practical reporting methodology for lobbying entities to reduce legal uncertainty at the start of the market.
4. Education and ethics – through the Higher School of Lobbying and the Lobbying and Advocacy program, which develops competence and professional standards.

“Our goal is a civilized, transparent and accountable lobbying market. It is about trust between the state, business and society. Standards should be clear to everyone – from activity codes to communication and reporting rules,” summarized Iryna Shapovalova.