EU to set up ethics standards for EU officials after corruption scandals

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – The European Commission proposed on Thursday to set common ethics standards for EU institutions after several EU officials were recently implicated in corruption scandals.

The EU executive recommended creating an interinstitutional ethics body tasked with developing and monitoring common standards for all members of EU institutions.

The ethics body will set “common, clear, transparent” ethical requirements for all EU politicians, on gifts, meetings, declaration of interests and assets, side activities, and jobs after the end of their mandates, the European Commission said in a statement.

The ethics body will only be responsible for promoting ethical rules and helping EU institutions to exchange good practices, while the EU’s Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) will continue to investigate alleged corruption cases.

Last December the EU was shaken by one of the biggest corruption scandals in its history when Greek EU lawmaker Eva Kaili was arrested by Belgian police on corruption charges.

Kaili, one of the European Parliament's 14 vice presidents, was arrested after her home was searched on suspicion that Qatar paid her to lobby for its interests.

Also, up to €1.5 million ($1.62 million) in cash was seized by the Belgian police across dozens of home and office searches.

Former Italian EU lawmaker Pier Antonio Panzeri, current members of the EU Parliament Andrea Cozzolino and Marc Tarabella, as well as Kaili's partner Francesco Giorgi, who worked as an assistant in the EU institution, were also detained.

In March, the European Commission also reviewed its interior rulebook on senior officials’ travels after Politico.eu revealed that Henrik Hololei, the European Commission’s top transport official, accepted free flights from Qatar while working on an important aviation agreement.