Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) This comes in the wake of the corruption scandal involving MEPs and payments from third countries known as ‘Qatargate’.
The plan includes the mandatory requirement to declare all meetings and a “cooling off period” for MEPs being employed as lobbyists.
Members say the President of the European Parliament needs to step up and act on the demands of the majority of MEPs who are asking for more ambitious reforms on integrity.
The demand comes amid a growing clamour for measures to strengthen the integrity of European institutions.
MEPs recently voted on a specific report repeating Parliament’s long-standing call for a new independent EU Ethics Body.
The Socialists and Democrats said they “welcome” the announcement that the Commission will come forward with a proposal for an interinstitutional agreement on an ethics body in March.
Commenting on the proposals Gaby Bischoff, S&D vice-president, said: “Allegations of corruption are highly damaging to the European Parliament’s credibility.
“Last December, in a bid to strengthen integrity and transparency, a huge majority of MEPs, including the EPP, voted on concrete steps to strengthen the accountability of the EU institutions. Our proposals include the establishment of an independent EU Ethics Body, a strengthened transparency register, and stronger whistle-blower protection.
“The European Parliament has taken its first step in the reform process, but some of the measures fall short of our ambition as S&Ds to ensure the highest standards of transparency that the public now expects from us. We are concerned about attempts by conservatives in the Parliament to roll back on ambition. President Metsola now needs to step up and deliver the urgent changes that this House is demanding on improving accountability, boosting transparency, and tightening controls.”
Further comment came from Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, S&D rapporteur for Parliament’s 2021 report on setting up an EU Ethics Body.
He said: “We have already waited for a year for an ethics body and we can wait a few more weeks. For the ethics body to really succeed it must be independent, it must have real powers of investigation and it must cover all individuals working in the European institutions. We have no intention of burying this scandal under a mountain of meaningless words.
“The days of self-policing, poor oversight, and ineffective sanctioning are over. Our credibility is on the line and people are watching the European Parliament and the institutions. The responsibility to act rests on all of our shoulders.”
Daniel Freund MEP, Greens/EFA rapporteur for an EU Ethics Body, commented, “The Commission is dragging their feet on a key reform to fight corruption in the EU institutions. From Qatargate to the revolving door for José Manuel Barroso and Neelie Kroes, it’s quite clear that the current system of self-monitoring and self-sanctioning has failed. The Commission promised independent oversight and proper enforcement of the rules years ago but they have not delivered.
“The current rules under the code of conduct for MEPs and EU officials must be enforced by an independent body. An EU Ethics Body is the only way to rebuild trust in the institutions. It is unacceptable that the Commission has not come forward with a proposal for almost a year and a half.”
