The EU parliamentarians decided on stricter transparency rules for themselves on Wednesday. This includes meetings with lobbyists – including from abroad – and stricter rules of conduct. Austrian EU parliamentarians voted unanimously in favor.
The amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure were adopted with 505 votes in favour, 93 against and 52 abstentions. All Members of the European Parliament must in future make public their planned meetings with interest representatives, including diplomatic representatives of states outside the EU. In addition, the acceptance of gifts or invitations will be more closely monitored.
The thresholds for reporting paid activities and asset declarations at the beginning and end of each term of office will also be lowered. According to the House of Representatives, the changes will come into effect on November 1, 2021 and are intended to prevent cases of corruption.
The new decision is a response to the Qatargate bribery scandal that broke out at the end of 2022. Several MEPs such as the former vice-president of parliament Eva Kaili, her partner Francesco Giorgi and the alleged mastermind Antonio Panzeri are said to have accepted money from the governments of Qatar and Morocco to influence the decisions of the EU Parliament in their countries. favor.
“Imperishability and character are important”
“Politics throughout the free world is in a crisis of confidence. The most important condition for trust is transparency. It was therefore urgent and important to further tighten the rules that were already in force. But it is equally important to clearly understand that the best rules are only the second best protection against complaints. “Incorruption and character are even more important, this applies to parliamentary work as well as to any public office,” said Austrian EU representative Lukas Mandl (ÖVP).
SPÖ MP Andreas Schieder also spoke of “important anti-corruption measures” that would now be enshrined in the EU Parliament’s rules of procedure.
Source: Krone
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