According to the investigation carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office, all European institutions agree that they must strengthen their detection and monitoring systems to avoid corruption cases such as Qatargate, the trade of bribes for MEPs and emirate assistants and Which originates in Morocco. , Now so too says the EU ombudsman, who welcomes the proposals outlined by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, but calls for more ambition in response. In a letter sent on Friday, Emily O’Reilly has proposed that Metsola strengthen monitoring of lawmakers’ activity beyond the 14 measures presented to parliamentary groups, which have also called for more determinations.
European Parliament approves tightening of controls in view of Qatar’s intervention but refrains from pointing to Morocco
“I commend your determination to restore the credibility of the European Parliament in the wake of the corruption scandal involving MEPs [la exvicepresidenta Eva Kaili está en prisión desde el mes de diciembre y la justicia belga ha reclamado el levantamiento de la inmunidad de los socialistas Marc Tarabella y Andrea Cozzolino] and from non-EU countries who seek to negatively influence the Chamber’s work. A scandal like this is a gift to those who want to harm or bring down the entire EU.” With next steps on how Parliament will act on these proposals, to make the calendar and the reform process “as transparent as possible”, Description of it.
The Lokpal also demands that the Advisory Committee overseeing the Code of Conduct be strengthened by providing it with “adequate resources” and the power to “monitor, investigate and ensure compliance with ethical standards”. Furthermore, he welcomes the promise to demand more detailed declarations of interests from MEPs, but calls for a system that would allow their veracity to be verified.
Among the measures the Ombudsman celebrates is the temporary stopping of ‘revolving doors’, ie MEPs can go straight to work in the lobby immediately after completing their mandate. Also forcing MEPs and their teams to make public their meetings with interest groups or third countries that have to do with the proposals they are working on, but to expose them to all activities of members of the chamber It is said to extend, irrespective of whether the meetings have any relation to parliamentary activity or not.
Following the Qatargate outbreak, the European Parliament approved by an overwhelming majority to strengthen controls to prevent interference from third countries, as had happened with Qatar. Among the measures that were adopted was a ban on the entry of officials of that country to the parliament while the investigation was ongoing. However, Morocco was left out. In a recently approved resolution on human rights violations in the Alaouite Kingdom and given the progress of the judicial investigation pointing to their involvement in the bribery scheme, MEPs demand that the Chamber also block access to the Moroccan representatives, that they Had exerted tremendous pressure on MEPs to try to block the approval of the text against which the PSOE MPs voted, breaking the voting discipline of the Social Democrats.
Metsola, for his part, introduced a package of 14 measures in January to try to prevent new corruption cases, including the prohibition of friends groups from third countries or the withdrawal of annual passes for MEPs at the end of their mandates. Includes, except those mentioned above. Some proposals only need to be implemented through administrative channels, but others require European Parliament rules to be changed, which prolongs their implementation. Metsola asked groups to send him their initiatives and in the near future he intends to promote the entire package.
“I look forward to the detailed proposals that underlie the general approach that you have outlined to see how the reform in practice will be implemented,” said Goodbye to the ombudsman. European Democratic Process”.
Source: World Nation News
