The Committee on Constitutional Affairs adopted the
report by Carlo CASINI (EPP, IT) on amendments to the Rules of
Procedure relating to a Code of Conduct for Members of the European
Parliament with respect to financial interests and conflicts of
interest.
The parliamentary committee proposes that the
following changes should be made to Parliaments Rules of
Procedure:
Code of conduct:
Parliament lays down rules governing the transparency of its
Members financial interests in the form of a Code of Conduct
for Members of the European Parliament with respect to financial
interests and conflicts of interest.
Key principles: in the
exercise of their functions, Members of the European Parliament
shall:
be guided by and observe the following general
principles of conduct: disinterest, integrity, openness, diligence,
honesty, accountability and respect for Parliaments
reputation,
act solely in the public interest and refrain from
obtaining or seeking to obtain any direct or indirect financial
benefit or other reward.
Conflicts of interest:
it is specified that a conflict of interest exists where a Member
of the European Parliament has a personal interest that could
improperly influence the performance of his or her duties as a
Member. A conflict of interest does not exist where a Member
benefits only as a member of the general public or of a broad class
of persons.
Members shall disclose, before speaking or voting in
Plenary or in one of Parliaments bodies, or if proposed as a
rapporteur, any actual or potential conflict of interest in
relation to the matter under consideration.
Declaration by Members:
Members of the European Parliament shall be personally responsible
for submitting a declaration of financial interests to the
President by the end of the first part-session after elections to
the European Parliament.
The declaration of financial interests shall contain,
among other things, the following information, which shall be
provided in a precise manner:
the Members occupation(s) during the
three-year period before he or she took up office with the
Parliament, and his or her membership during that period of any
boards or committees of companies, non-governmental organisations,
associations or other bodies established in law;
any regular remunerated activity which the
Member undertakes alongside the exercise of his or her office,
whether as an employee or as a self-employed person;
any occasional remunerated outside activity (including
writing, lecturing or the provision of expert advice), if the
total remuneration exceeds EUR 5 000 in a calendar
year;
any support, whether financial or in terms of
staff or material, additional to that provided by Parliament and
granted to them in connection with their political activities by
third parties, whose identity shall be disclosed.
Members shall notify the President of any changes that
have on influence on their declaration within 30 days of each
change occurring.
Gifts or similar benefits: Members of the European Parliament shall refrain
from accepting, in the performance of their duties, any gifts or
similar benefits, other than those with an approximate value of
less than EUR 150 given in accordance with courtesy usage or
those given to them in accordance with courtesy usage when they are
representing Parliament in an official capacity.
Any gifts presented to Members, when they are
representing Parliament in an official capacity shall be handed
over to the President of the Parliament.
The reimbursement of travel, accommodation and
subsistence expenses of Members, or the direct payment of such
expenses by third parties are not considered as gifts when they
participate in an event pursuant to an official
invitation.
Sanctions: where a
rapporteur breaches the provisions of the Code of Conduct for
Members of the European Parliament with respect to financial
interests and conflicts of interest, the committee which appointed
him or her may, on the initiative of the President and on a
proposal by the Conference of Presidents, terminate the holding of
that office.
Activities of former Members: former Members of the European Parliament who engage
in professional lobbying or representational activities directly
linked to the European Union decision-making process may not,
throughout the period in which they engage in those activities,
benefit from the facilities granted to former Members under the
rules laid down by the Bureau to that effect.
Advisory Committee on the Conduct of
Members: the Advisory Committee -
composed of five members, appointed by the President at the
beginning of his or her term-of-office from amongst the members of
the bureaux and the coordinators of the Committee on Constitutional
Affairs and the Committee on Legal Affairs shall be
established.
Upon request by a Member, the Advisory Committee shall
give him or her, in confidence, guidance on the interpretation and
implementation of the provisions of the Code of Conduct. At the
request of the President, the Advisory Committee shall also assess
alleged cases of breach of this Code of Conduct and advise the
President on possible action to be taken.