(BRUSSELS) - A panel of lawmakers at the European Parliament called on Tuesday for tougher rules for the thousands of lobbyists that gravitate around the EU institutions.

The parliament's constitutional affairs committee backed recommendations for a mandatory public register for lobbyists as well as a code of conduct and sanctions for those who flaunt it.

Professional lobbies and law firms would have to disclose in the register the relative weight of their major clients and the costs associated with lobbying, while NGOs and think tanks would be required to state their overall budgets and main funding sources.

Among the EU's institutions, only the European Parliament has a voluntary register of lobbyists and a code of lobbying conduct, which has been in place for the past 10 years.

"Lobbies are an essential part of the work done by members of European Parliament," said Finnish conservative MEP Alexander Stubb, who drafted the recommendations and is to leave the parliament to become Finland's foreign minister.

"Policy-making would be very poor without their contribution," he added. "With this report we ensure a level playing field to lobbies and increase transparency."

The text estimated that there are about 15,000 lobbyists and 2,500 lobby organisations in Brussels.

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