17/09/2021 (Agence Europe) – The European ethics committee is a step forward in itself, but its scope, as described in the European Parliament’s recent resolution (see EUROPE 12792/9), is flawed, Transparency International said in a statement on Thursday. According to the organisation, any sanction against an MEP will continue to be taken by one person, namely the President of Parliament, leaving the door open for political deals. Transparency International advocates a vote of Parliament in plenary to sanction an MEP on the basis of recommendations from the future European Ethics Committee. It argues that since 2014, no MEPs have been sanctioned for ethical issues, although there have been more than 20 cases of breaches of Parliament’s code of conduct. (MB)