31% of the 751 members of the European Parliament carry out paid activities on top of their salaries stemming from their mandates and between 9 and 30 of them are paid more for their private activities than for their work as MEPs, according to an annual report published by the organisation Transparency International on Tuesday 10 July.
This report, which is based on the declarations of the MEPs themselves, estimates that the total amount received by MEPs is at least €18 million and could be as much as €31 million.
The 'top 6' of MEPs' earnings since their mandate began in 2014: - Renato Soru (S&D, Italy), who was paid at least €1.5 million as director of the company Tiscali; - Antanas Guoga (EPP, Lithuania), who was paid at least €1.35 million as entrepreneur and from the company Poker Player; - Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, Belgium), who was paid at least €920,000 from speaking engagements and as director of SOFINA; - Nigel Farage (EFDD, UK), who was paid at least €590,000 via audiovisual contracts.
The organisation highlights three MEPs who have received extra remuneration from three interest groups on the European transparency register during their terms in office: - Viviane Reding (EPP, Luxembourg), who has a seat on the board of directors of Bertelsmann Foundation; - Agnes Jongerius (S&D, Netherlands), who has a seat on the supervisory committee of PostNL; - Paul Rübig (EPP, Austria), who has a position with the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.
The authors of the report include a series of recommendations to reinforce the vigilance of the European Parliament, (with the case of Udo Voigt (unaffiliated, Germany) alone, out of 24 infringements detected against the MEPs' code of conduct, having been the subject of a reprimand); - apply the prohibition on lobbying to serving MEPs (see EUROPE 11688); - clarify the information set out in the financial interest declarations; - establish an independent ethical committee in Parliament that has powers to investigate and sanction any breach of the MEPs' code of conduct.
When invited to comment on the report, the European Parliament stressed that some MEPs were voted in on the basis of their previous professional activities and should remain in contact on the ground. In any event, any conflict of interests, real or supposed, should immediately be dealt with by the MEP, in full respect of the principles and provisions of the code of conduct, it stressed. Over the last five years, MEPs have come under fire due to late declarations of involvement in certain events (partially) remunerated by third parties. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)