On Thursday 5 October, the Conference of Presidents at the European Parliament decided that it should be up to Parliament’s investigation commission into money-laundering, fraud and tax evasion (PANA) to prepare a decision for withdrawing accreditation badges for two lobbyists from the Caterpillar company.
As part of the goal to develop a more coherent approach, one source suggested that this decision could also be backed up by a more general analysis of the lobbyists creating difficulties for the PANA commission who could also possibly have their badges confiscated. The Caterpillar case and the one involving the uncooperative lobbyists could possibly be examined on 12 and the 19 October.
The presidents of the groups have received a request from Hugues Bayet (Socialists) and Sven Giegold (Greens) to confiscate two badges from Caterpillar Belgium SA. Representatives from the latter had refused to attend a hearing. Representatives from Monsanto also had their badges confiscated following a decision taken last week at the Conference of Presidents. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)