The European Court of Auditors (ECA), the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) approved, on Thursday 25 April, their participation in the future European Ethics Body, on the basis of the agreement reached by eight EU institutions and bodies.
Having negotiated the agreement on behalf of the European Court of Auditors, George Marius Hyzler, said he was particularly “satisfied” with the outcome of the negotiations, which take account of a 2019 ECA recommendation on harmonising ethical standards at European level through the development of common standards. This important development “will strengthen public confidence in our institutions”, he told Agence Europe.
EESC President Oliver Röpke pointed out that the EESC’s participation in the European Ethics Body was in line with its commitment to greater transparency in the Committee’s work. “The EU is taking an important step towards a common culture of integrity and ethics, and I am glad that the EESC is an integral part of this endeavour”, he said in a press release.
CoR President Vasco Alves Cordeiro described the creation of the European Ethics Body as “an important step that contributes to the trust in our democracy”.
The European Parliament (see EUROPE 13399/1), the Council of the EU and the European Commission have also approved the agreement establishing the European Ethics Body. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)