Strasbourg, 22 April 2024
-
The Constitutional Affairs Committee has voted in favour of the interinstitutional agreement
-
A significant first step towards fostering a common culture of integrity and ethics
-
Common minimum ethical standards to be developed by an interinstitutional body
-
Five independent experts to contribute to the Body’s work, deliver opinions on individual written declarations on request
On Monday, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs endorsed the agreement for a body to strengthen integrity, transparency, and accountability in European decision-making.
The agreement that was reached between eight EU institutions and bodies (namely Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Justice, the European Central Bank, the European Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the European Committee of the Regions) provides for the joint creation of a new Body for Ethical Standards. MEPs endorsed the deal with 15 votes in favour, 12 against, and no abstentions.
The Body will develop, update, and interpret common minimum standards for ethical conduct, and publish reports on how these standards have been reflected in each signatory’s internal rules. The institutions participating in the Body will be represented by one senior member and the position of Chair of the Body will rotate every year between the institutions. Five independent experts will support the work of the Body, who will be available to be consulted by a party to the agreement on standardised written declarations, including declarations of interest.
A successful push for watchdog functions
Parliament was represented in the negotiations by Vice-President Katarina Barley (S&D, DE), Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs Salvatore De Meo (EPP, IT), and rapporteur Daniel Freund (Greens/EFA, DE). They managed to improve significantly the Commission’s proposal, described as “unsatisfactory” by MEPs in July 2023, by adding to the tasks of the independent experts the competence to examine individual cases and issue recommendations. The provisional agreement was approved by Parliament’s Conference of Presidents on Thursday.
Quotes
Parliament’s co-negotiators stated the following.
Daniel Freund (Greens/EFA, DE):
“Lobbying rules in the EU institutions will finally be enforced by an independent referee. That will be a massive improvement to the current faulty system of self-control. Independent checks by the new Ethics Body’s experts are a hard won success that will improve lobbying transparency. This will send a clear signal to voters: your vote counts. Independent control of lobbying rules will increase citizens trust in the European democracy.”
Katarina Barley (S&D, DE):
“The Ethics Body is a big step forward for transparency and openness in Europe. This is all about putting citizens’ interests first and making sure EU institutions stick to the highest ethical standards. I am proud that this breakthrough was made possible by Parliament’s unwavering dedication to serving Europeans. Establishing this new Authority demonstrates our dedication to fairness and reliability across the EU.”
Salvatore De Meo (EPP, IT):
“The provisional agreement voted today in the AFCO Committee represents a first step towards the creation of common rules on ethics and transparency between the different institutions. It is now up to the plenary to confirm support for this agreement which, despite its several shortcomings, would contribute to more harmonized practices between the European institutions.”
Next steps
Parliament will hold a final vote on whether to endorse the agreement during the plenary session that is currently underway in Strasbourg, on Thursday 25 April. The provisional agreement will still need to be signed by all parties before it can come into force.
Background
The European Parliament has been calling for the EU institutions to have an ethics body since September 2021, one with real investigative authority and a structure fit for purpose. MEPs reiterated the call in December 2022, in the immediate aftermath of the allegations of corruption involving former and current MEPs and staff, alongside an array of internal improvements to enhance integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Further information
S&D Group: Progressive majority endorses new EU ethics body
The socialists and democrats in the European Parliament led a progressive majority endorsing a new EU ethics body in a vote in the constitutional affairs committee this evening. The new inter-institutional body, agreed at a political level last month, will set standards for ethics in the EU institutions and will be composed of representatives of the institutions and five independent experts. Following tonight’s endorsement, the plenary debate and vote on the EU ethics body on Thursday will be among MEPs’ final acts in this legislative mandate.
Throughout the negotiations, the conservative EPP group has teamed up with the extreme right to water down the mandate of the ethics body. Last month, in a public statement explaining their opposition to the ethics body, the EPP Group made false claims that the proposals, endorsed by president von der Leyen, are inconsistent with the rule of law.
Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, S&D MEP and shadow rapporteur for the EU ethics body, said:
“We believe in developing ambitious ethical standards across the EU institutions and today’s vote is a first step in the right direction. We have been consistently pushing for improved monitoring and enforcement of higher standards, but we have faced relentless headwinds from the right wing groups in the European Parliament trying to stop a new EU ethics body.
“The EPP has been remarkably consistent in teaming up with the extreme right, ECR and ID, voting against a new tool designed to improve transparency, credibility and trust in the EU. We sincerely hope the EPP sees sense ahead of the plenary vote on Thursday and we urge them to vote with our progressive majority.”
Katarina Barley, S&D MEP and Parliament’s lead negotiator for the EU ethics body, said:
“This week is a watershed moment for public scrutiny and integrity in the EU. We finally have an EU ethics body with independent experts and the power to examine individual cases. We stood our ground throughout difficult negotiations, but we achieved good results for our institutions and the public’s trust in our work. With Parliament’s final vote, we are taking a crucial step to better enforce rules on integrity, transparency and accountability.
“The creation of an ethics body is a success made possible by the European Parliament and the S&D Group. Our constant pressure has shaped an ethics body with a watchdog function. It is the Socialists and Democrats’ continuous push for more scrutiny and higher ethics standards across the EU’s institutions that made this victory possible.
“We have worked very hard to ensure the new EU ethics body can be in place for the start of the next legislative mandate.”