Věra Jourová, the Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, has raised hackles among some MEPs after putting forward a proposal for an inter-institutional body designed to raise ethical standards.
Among critics to have slammed the proposal, a topic currently high on the agenda amid the cash-for-influence Qatargate scandal, the Renew Europe president derided the plan, describing it as the potential implementation of a “toothless bulldog”.
Jourová said the proposed ethics body would, for the first time, put in place a unified set of rules regarding officials’ ethical conduct, and a formal mechanism for the coordination and exchange of views on ethical requirements across European Union institutions. It would also include the introduction of “common, clear, transparent and comprehensible standards”.
However, not everyone is enthusiastic about the proposals. Daniel Freund, Greens/EFA Group MEP and European Parliament Rapporteur on the need for an EU Ethics Body, was scathing in his criticism, saying: “This proposal the Commission has put forward today is for a body that is not independent, will not have investigatory powers and will not be able to sanction breaches of ethics rules.
“The Commission has come out with something that is totally underwhelming, underpowered and uninspired after dragging its feet for years,” he added.
Freund further lamented the proposal, saying: “We urgently need a truly independent body that will be able to police potential issues of conflicts of interest, corruption and mismanagement across the EU institutions. This is essential for trust in politics and ensuring that decisions are being made in the interest of citizens.
“The Qatargate scandal,” he insisted, “shows that self-regulation by politicians and officials simply does not work. This proposal doubles-down on the idea that institutions should self-regulate, which will not be enough to rebuild trust in the EU.
“We will not stop fighting for greater accountability and integrity at the EU-level,” he said.
Reflecting Freund’s view, Stéphane Séjourné, the Renew Europe president, said: “Europe deserves better than half-baked proposals. We need an independent ethics body with investigative powers, not a toothless bulldog.
“Europe’s conservative politicians must stop burying their heads in the sand and learn the lessons of the Qatargate scandal.”
‼️ According to reports, the @EU_Commission will tomorrow present a toothless ethics body.
"Europe deserves better than half-baked proposals. We need an independent ethics body with investigative powers, not a toothless bulldog", says @steph_sejournehttps://t.co/3g0jZO9Em3
— Renew Europe (@RenewEurope) June 7, 2023
The European People’s Party (EPP) is less harsh but still critical. Members have welcomed the long-awaited EC proposal regarding an ethics body but also warned that it would be no cure-all in relation to corruption.
“The Commission’s proposal reflects the debate in the Parliament and is therefore appropriate,” said Sven Simon MEP, EPP Group Spokesman on Constitutional Affairs.
“However,” he added, “we should note that an ethics body would not have prevented abuses like Qatargate. There is a real risk of the politicisation of an authority that governs ethics and not legal standards.”
Other concerns regarding the scope of the proposed panel’s effectiveness were also highlighted, especially regarding powers to investigate cases and punish officials found in breach of corruption rules.
“We strongly caution against a Polish-style disciplinary chamber for MEPs,” Simon warned. “The core problem that was revealed during Qatargate, namely unchecked influence through NGOs and other actors, is not addressed through the proposal.”
Gerolf Annemans, a Belgian Vlaams Belang member with the ID Group, told Brussels Signal he also had concerns.
“In tempore non suspect, we tended to support the establishment of an independent body, because it has become abundantly clear that Parliament is unable to self-regulate,” he said.
‘In tempore non suspect’ translates as ‘information obtained at a time when the one who imparts the information does not have anything to gain’.
But Annemans continued: “This, however, comes with a serious caveat: we fear that the ethics body Mrs Jourová aims to install will – yet again – effectively be under the exclusive control of the leftist-liberal majority.
“Vlaams Belang and the ID Group at large believe that any attempt to institute more ethics within the EU institutions will be in vain as long as Parliament keeps excluding the ID Group out of Parliament’s Bureau,” he said.
“The Bureau lays down the rules for Parliament. Let’s begin by including every political group into the Bureau.”
Annemans’ French counterpart, MEP Jean Paul Garraud, said his Rassemblement National group was not against the idea of an ethics body, but added that he felt the current proposal was more a case of smoke and mirrors orchestrated by the EC. “What was needed above all was an immediate parliamentary committee of enquiry into Qatargate. But this was rejected by the majority of the European Parliament,” he said.
In a press conference on June 8, Jourová emphasised the need to act before the next European election and she repeated her belief that, until now, EU institutions have been too hesitant to accept new ethics standards. She also stressed her proposal opened the door to possibly developing a more robust ethics environment within the EU in future.
Currently, there are no comprehensive European lobby regulations in place, and thus no rules regarding the acceptance of gifts, hospitality and travel, among other things, offered by third parties.
Jourová believes the proposed ethics body would additionally establish regulations on transparency regarding any engagements with EU representatives, post-employment activities of EU officials, and the disclosure of their interests and assets.
“People around Europe do not distinguish whether a scandal has originated in one or the other institution. Therefore, if we want to remain credible in their eyes we need all to be subject to common ethical standards,” she added.
“The very serious allegations that emerged over the past few months made me use the opportunity to do something right when things go wrong.
“Therefore, I call on our partners in the European Parliament, the Council and the other institutions, to swiftly support the proposal for an ethics body,” Jourová said.
“We need to develop and apply common clear, comprehensible and transparent standards for all the European institutions.”
How will the proposed EU ethics body look like?
Well, it looks old, being largely inspired by the 2000 Prodi Commission's failed proposal for an Advisory Group on Standards in Public Life (see below image).
Here’s a 🧵on the ‘new´ EU Ethics Body based on years of research on… pic.twitter.com/SnWm8zGNpp
— Alberto Alemanno (@alemannoEU) June 8, 2023
