BRUSSELS, May 9 (IPS) - The often cosy relationship between corporate lobbyists and the Brussels bureaucracy was illustrated in the past few weeks as several members of the European Parliament (MEPs) prepared to visit Peru.

Vidal Quadras Roca, the assembly's vice-president, contacted a fellow MEP organising the trip to inform him that participants could see first-hand projects in Lima run by British Petroleum, the French private water firm Suez, and the Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica. All these companies, it transpired, are represented by the International Association of Business and Parliament, a shadowy body which has an office within the Parliament's own building and can avail of facilities financed by the European taxpayer.

Revelations that 'stealth lobbyists' have penetrated their way deep into the corridors of power came at a delicate moment for the Parliament. Those MEPs who were not jetting off to Latin America were involved in a debate about how to tighten up the rules covering what lobbyists may and may not do.

A significant breakthrough was made May 8 when the Parliament officially urged that a mandatory register should be set up for the estimated 15,000 lobbyists in Brussels, most of whom work for business interests. Among the details that would have to be included in the register would be a lobbyist's sources of funding and names of his or her clients.