MEPs to back code of conduct

Parliament to approve transparency rules approved by constitutional affairs committee.

The European Parliament will endorse a revised code of conduct for MEPs at its mini-plenary session in Brussels next week (30 November-1 December). The transparency rules were approved by the Parliament’s constitutional affairs committee last week (17 November).

Jerzy Buzek, the president of the Parliament, said that the committee’s near unanimous support (no votes against, and one abstention) was an indication of how the full Parliament would vote. If approved next Thursday (1 December), the rules would take effect on 1 January.

The code of conduct would tighten the rules on MEPs’ declarations of financial interests and remuneration, and oblige them to report any professional activity undertaken in the three years preceding their election, as well as links to company boards and non-governmental organisations.

The changes also remove special access to the Parliament for former MEPs turned lobbyists, and ban MEPs from receiving payments or other rewards in exchange for attempts to influence parliamentary decisions. The rules say that any financial interest that could cause a conflict of interest must be declared within 30 days, or the member could be expelled. MEPs will not be able to accept gifts valued at more than €150.

2012 budget

Also next Thursday, the Parliament will endorse the EU’s 2012 budget, following an agreement with member states last Saturday (19 November). The agreement sets the budget increase at 2.02%, considerably less than the 5.23% rise sought by MEPs.

As a concession to MEPs, member states agreed to add €200 million to this year’s budget for projects under the European Social Fund. National finance ministers will approve the 2012 budget on Wednesday (30 November).

MEPs are also expected on Thursday to approve a compromise with national governments and the European Commission giving MEPs greater powers over EU development spending. The compromise was agreed at the end of October, and national education ministers are expected to endorse it on Monday (28 November).

If approved, the compromise would unblock €190m in aid to banana producers in former European colonies to help them adjust to the loss of preferential EU tariffs. The programme was supposed to be launched last year but has been held up by a power struggle between member states and the Commission on one side and MEPs on the other.

MEPs sought greater involvement in approving projects under the programme. They sought similar oversight over projects in three other programmes, for support to non-member states. These too were held up by the tussle.

As part of the compromise, member states and MEPs agreed parameters for funding allocations under the banana programme, and the financing instrument for co-operation with industrialised and other high-income countries.

The Commission also included a demand by MEPs in its proposal for the next multiannual financial framework – for 2014-20 – to use the method of ‘delegated acts’ rather than a comitology procedure to approve individual projects. This, MEPs believe, would give them more influence over funding decisions.

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