Members of the European Parliament remain at odds over how to reform their own lobbying rules after the major parties delayed a vote on the issue.
The vote on a non-binding report on new transparency measures by German Green MEP Sven Giegold was initially scheduled for Monday this week but was put off after an agreement by leading MEPs in the Constitutional Affairs Committee last week. No replacement date has been set.
The last-minute withdrawal is the latest reflection of infighting among lawmakers over whether they should publicly disclose more information on their interactions with lobbyists and their professional activities outside of the Parliament.
The delay also represents a setback for Giegold, who argued Parliament should vote on a report, at least at committee level, on its own position before the European Commission presents proposed transparency reforms for all EU institutions, expected on September 28.
Giegold said MEPs from three of the Parliament’s main political groups — the center-right European People’s Party, center-left Socialists & Democrats and centrist Liberals — are blocking his proposed lobbying reforms, which include a ban on MEPs holding outside jobs.
“The European Parliament is the most transparent parliament in Europe and greater transparency does not mean greater trust” — György Schöpflin, a Hungarian MEP
Under existing rules MEPs can also work for an organization that lobbies EU institutions, including the Parliament. Center-right MEPs are hoping to soften Giegold’s ban to allow MEPs to have side jobs with organizations as long as they are disclosed in the EU lobbying register, according to draft compromise language seen by POLITICO.
“Conservatives say they search for a broader compromise but want to delete all real progress, such as lobby transparency, a ban on lobby side jobs and effective sanctions against conflicts of interest,” Giegold said in a statement.
Giegold started the work on his report on “Transparency, accountability and integrity in the EU institutions” in late 2014. This spring, his colleagues proposed more than 400 amendments, revealing the scope of conflicting views on whether MEPs could hold other jobs or how much they should be required to disclose their financial assets.
“There is no question of blocking the report,” said György Schöpflin, a Hungarian MEP in charge of negotiations on the reform for the European People’s Party. “The European Parliament is the most transparent parliament in Europe and greater transparency does not mean greater trust.”
Schöpflin also raised concerns that disclosing too much financial information of MEPs’ assets might breach data protection rules.
Center-left sources said there was no “plot” to delay voting on the report.
The potential new date for a committee vote on the Giegold report, and later a vote by all MEPs, will likely not be before the end of the year. Although by then, Parliament will likely be negotiating with the Commission and the Council of Ministers to create a mandatory transparency register for all lobbyists, including at the Parliament.
Giegold fears it will be easier to water down restrictions on issues such as side jobs for MEPs if the Parliament enters the larger negotiations without voting on its own position beforehand.
Center-left sources said there was no “plot” to delay voting on the report.
“We need more time to position ourselves,” said one aide working on the issue. “Every meeting to discuss compromises between groups resulted in adding again and again new and complicated amendments.”