The European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) articulated its vision for a European ethics committee, adopting on Wednesday 14 July a draft report by Daniel Freund (Greens/EFA, Germany).
All compromise amendments were adopted (see EUROPE 12746/2). Composed of nine members, the committee was able to initiate its own investigations on the ground on the basis of information it has collected and/or received from whistleblowers, journalists, or civil society.
This compromise amendment was supported by the S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA, and The Left groups as well as Fabio Castaldo (NI, Italy). However, the EPP, Identity and Democracy, and ECR groups voted against.
In order to contribute to a culture based on the prevention of conflicts of interest, the committee takes a two-step approach when a breach is brought to its attention: – a confidential stage where it makes recommendations to stop the infringement and give the person concerned the opportunity to be heard; – in case of refusal to correct the infringement, a recommendation for a sanction is published and the competent authority must decide on the follow-up within 20 working days.
“Independent control can finally enforce the rules in a credible way, stop direct moves into lobbying, and thus win back the trust of citizens. The previous system of self-regulation has failed to prevent too many scandals”, Mr Freund said in a statement, citing the case of former EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger (see EUROPE 12439/18).
The rapporteur said the Christian Democrats’ opposition to his report was “revealing”, a few weeks after the scandals over the supply of medical masks and Azerbaijani networks in Germany. “Even Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) and Manfred Weber (CSU) had promised such a body to create more transparency in the EU institutions!” he added.
In the final vote, seven MEPs from the EPP group, including former European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, and one MEP from the ECR group voted against the draft report as amended. The Freund report will be discussed and voted on at the September plenary session. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)