While the defendants in the Qatargate investigation deal with Belgian justice, the European Parliament is trying to understand how such a grave scandal could have escaped the internal control system. Photos of cash-filled bags associated with the agency the commission is supposed to oversee, and the defamation is mocking the Assembly for being at the forefront of condemning the corruption of others. So how did he not see what was going to happen inside?
Criticisms of the former assistant
Some elements of clarity came from outside the building. More precisely, by Nicholas Aiossa, deputy director of Transparency International, an NGO active in the fight against corruption for two decades. The activist denounced “a culture that contributed to the scandal” at the hearing before Eurochamber’s foreign intervention commission, citing her experience as a former parliamentary aide. Systematic violation of transparency rules is considered as the main component of this ‘culture’.
Gifts and excursions offered
For example, Members of the European Parliament are obliged to declare donations and trips paid by third parties. “But the wave of overdue declarations reached Aiossa said it “shows that parliamentarians don’t take these rules very seriously” because of fears of being involved in the Qatar bribery scandal last month. “MPs have a daily allowance at their disposal, including an extra per diem if they want to travel abroad,” the activist lobbies.
Save all lobbies
Another factor that emerged after the Qatargate arrests is that the NGO Fight Impunity, at the center of the scandal, was not included in the lobby records. There should be “a registration obligation for all interest representatives”, which includes the so-called “eligible NGOs”. Only this way would “require” financial statements that “these organizations” like Fight Impunity did not provide, said a representative for Transparency International, an organization with a lobbying registry. “Most of these measures can be taken unilaterally by this institution,” Aiossa said.
no penalty
The absence of sanctions due to non-compliance with the transparency rules was also reflected in the activist’s opinion, especially on gifts and travel. “Parliament has one of the worst sanction systems in effect” is characterized by “lack of seriousness” illustrated by the fact that “there were 24 violations of the code of conduct in the last legislature and no sanctions were imposed”. That happens, Aiossa continued, “because the right and opportunity to sanction a Member of Parliament rests with the person who chairs the institution.” “These sanctions are not implemented for many reasons, including political considerations,” he said.
Protect the whistleblower
Finally, there is the issue of limited protection for whistleblowers or officials or assistants who report crimes that occur within the organization. The activist recalled that parliament made a decisive contribution to the drafting of the directive protecting whistleblowers, but the rules are that “EU institutions and bodies set their own rules” and “these guarantees do not apply to EU staff” and “Aiossa, staff and deputies of this Parliament, for whistleblowers all over the EU” He has one of the worst protections,” he said. In fact, the activist explained that the possibility of reporting alleged illegal behavior internally “could help prevent the seriousness of this scandal.”
Insufficient new measures
The deputy director of Transparency International warned, “This is not a lobbying scandal, it is a corruption and bribery scandal. Therefore, this agency’s response should be commensurate with the seriousness of these behaviours.” “The fourteen measures put forward by President Roberta Metsola and the Conference of Presidents are a step in the right direction, but not enough,” he concluded.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
