Christian Democrat MEPs could join forces with the conservatives and far right in the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) on Wednesday 14 May to strike a blow against the establishment of the European Ethics Body.
Ironically, the aim of the EPP group will be to torpedo the proposal put forward by one of their leaders, the German Sven Simon, to amend the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure to include the procedures for appointing the European Parliament’s representative on the future Body (see EUROPE 13600/20).
Daniel Freund (Greens/EFA, German), who represented Parliament in the interinstitutional negotiations on the Ethics Body during the previous parliamentary term, said on Tuesday that it would be “odd” if a draft report by the Chair of the AFCO committee, which was not the subject of “any amendments from the EPP group”, were rejected by the same political family. According to him, the EPP, ECR, PfE and ENS groups were going to reject the draft ‘Simon’ report.
It is up to the European Parliament to convene the constituent meeting of the European Ethics Body. Mr Freund said he believes that, even without changes to the Rules of Procedure, the European Parliament can move forward, although a revised set of Rules of Procedure would clarify the internal procedures of the EU institution.
Coordinator of the Social Democrat group within the parliamentary committee, Spain’s Juan Fernando López Aguilar, criticised the EPP group, some of whose MEPs have publicly called for withdrawal from the agreement on the Ethics Body. “Their position not only jeopardises the commitment made by our institution, but also undermines efforts to strengthen integrity, transparency and accountability in the European Parliament”, he told Agence Europe in writing.
Frustrated by these delaying tactics, the coordinators of the S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA and The Left groups within the AFCO committee have asked to meet with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. In a letter sent to her on Monday 12 May, they argue that the EPP group’s position not only “jeopardises the commitment made by our Institution” to the creation of the European Ethics Body, but also “undermines our joint efforts to strengthen integrity, transparency, and accountability” in the European Parliament while new allegations of corruption involving MEPs have been uncovered by the press.
Should the draft ‘Simon’ report be rejected, Mr Freund said that one possible option would be to seek a formal opinion from Parliament’s Legal Service.
To see the letter from the political groups: https://aeur.eu/f/gsw (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)