Parliament's Committee rejects implementation of extrajudicial body

Anyone who holds public office must meet high, clear, and predictable ethical standards and avoid conflicts of interest. The EPP Group has always been in favour of measures that increase ethical standards and accountability; however, we strongly opposed the creation of a new external body regulating the internal functioning of the European Parliament.

“Lawmakers make laws, the police and prosecutors investigate crimes, and courts impose sentences. That is the rule of law. The extrajudicial 'Ethics Body' would operate outside this framework, violating the presumption of innocence and publicly stigmatising politicians,” warned Loránt Vincze MEP, EPP Group Spokesman in the Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee.

“The proposed 'Ethics Body' is the wrong answer to a valid question. It lacks the first condition for any institution of the sort - transparency. Instead of new structures, we should strengthen existing law enforcement agencies like the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutors' Office (EPPO), alongside our national judiciaries. We must defend the rights of our Parliament and our elected Members’ freedom of mandate. The European Parliament must withdraw from the 'Ethics Body' and establish firm and robust internal mechanisms for integrity,” stressed Vincze after the AFCO Committee voted to reject the implementation of the extrajudicial body.