The European Parliament (EP) has approved on Wednesday with stricter integrity rules for MEPs. The reason for this is ‘Qatargate’, the corruption scandal in which employees and members of the European Parliament were allegedly bribed with luxurious gifts and money to defend the interests of Qatar and Morocco. Justice in Belgium is still investigating that case.
The scandal raised questions about lobbying rules in the European Parliament, prompting President Roberta Metsola to come up with a fourteen-point plan to promote transparency and prevent corruption. This list of recommendations was voted on in the European Parliament on Wednesday: 505 members voted in favour, 93 against and 52 abstained.
For example, members of parliament must make asset declarations at the beginning and end of each term of office. They are also given a mandatory ‘cooling-off period’ after their term: during these six months they are not allowed to have contact with sitting parliamentarians. In addition, they must declare income from side activities of more than 5,000 euros per year.
Also read The tricky question: is EP President Metsola himself the most suitable candidate to implement the necessary reforms?