The European Commission has made public a list of around 1,300 formal and informal expert groups set up to advise the Commission in drafting laws and regulations. The list has been made available over the internet in the form of a searchable electronic register. 

The new register does not cover so-called 'comitology' committees, which are available in a separate register. 

It gives details about the tasks and nature of each group set up to advise the Commission on issues ranging from automotive standards to air quality targets. It classifies the participants in broad categories (scientists, academics, practitioners, industry, NGOs, etc.) but it does not contain any information on individual experts, mainly for data protection and privacy reasons, the Commission indicated. Identities of individual members can however be made known if they were selected through a public call for applications.

The new register goes public as the Commission prepares to unveil today (9 September) the details of a potentially wide-ranging initiative to improve transparency in EU decision-making. 

"We are committed to shining a light on the way decisions in Brussels are taken," said Commission President, José Manuel Barroso.