Following allegations of bribery in the European Parliament, MEPs voted in favor of stricter transparency rules. Yesterday, in Strasbourg, a clear majority of parliamentarians demonstrated, among other things, in favor of declarations of assets at the beginning and end of a term. There should also be stricter rules for accepting gifts and assuming travel expenses by third parties. In the future, significantly more meetings with lobbyists will have to be published. The rules are expected to come into effect in November.
The bribery scandal that became public in late 2022 is about Qatar and Morocco allegedly influencing EU Parliament decisions. The defendants, including the former vice-president of Parliament, Eva Kaili, are accused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of corruption, money laundering and membership in a criminal organization. The alleged mastermind, Antonio Panzeri, was a member of the EU Parliament for many years before founding a non-governmental organization.