Transparency International EU

Today, @EP_Justice@respublicae.eu adopted the report by @sophieintveld on the new criminalisation of sanctions evasion Directive. The position gives the proposal more teeth, a crucial step in deterring the enablers of sanctions violations.

➡️ Next step: negotiations with Council & Commission

­⚠️The annual Rule of Law report published today only confirms our continued concerns regarding democratic backsliding in Hungary.

It shows once more the need for continued monitoring of the rule of law situation.

Together with @corporateeurope@mstdn.social, Friends of the Earth Europe & @lobbycontrol@bewegung.social we have written to @EP_President@respublicae.eu to complain about MEP Axel Voss’s conflict-of-interest risks.

How can an MEP have multiple paid side jobs in the same field as the legislation they’re working on?

https://transparency.eu/ngos-condemn-meps-side-activities-in-complaint-on-conflict-of-interest-risk/

Today is World Whistleblowers’ Day!

It’s a reminder that protections for European Parliament staff *still* do not live up to the EU’s own Whistleblower Directive.

How many more cases of corruption have we missed because MEP assistants are afraid to lose their jobs? #WWBD2023

The EU institutions are taking decisive steps towards recovering more assets from criminals.

Our Senior Policy Officer for Illicit Financial Flows, Roland Papp, has the breakdown: 👇

https://transparency.eu/how-to-recover-more-assets-from-criminals-what-the-eu-institutions-plan-to-do/

Integrity Watch Germany has been launched! It offers easy-to-read, interactive insight into the German lobbying landscape, including lobbyists and their funds.

Check it out for yourself👇

https://integritywatch.transparency.de/

The @EU_Commission@social.network.europa.eu today announced its long-awaited ethics body.

It amounts to a talking shop that upholds a self-policing status quo. We know this doesn’t work.

https://transparency.eu/transparency-international-eu-watered-down-eu-ethics-body-lacks-credibility/

“Very little is actually happening. Sitting MEPs haven’t really felt anything. They haven’t had to do anything to improve the transparency and integrity regime of the Parliament.”

Our Director @michiel@eupolicy.social on the lack of European Parliament reforms at the #EODebate today.

Six months ago, the European Parliament was hit by the most egregious corruption scandal to ever hit its ranks. Sweeping reform was promised.

What's changed since then? Hardly anything.

https://transparency.eu/qatargate-six-months-on-lots-of-talk-little-action/

An EU foreign interference law would leave civil society open to attack. This week, we and over 200 other NGOs signed a joint statement condemning a directive proposed by the @EU_Commission@social.network.europa.eu that would allow NGOs to be stigmatised as foreign agents: https://transparency.eu/joint-statement-eu-foreign-interference-law-a-threat-to-civil-society/

The @EU_Commission@social.network.europa.eu has just proposed an EU anti-corruption sanctions regime, allowing the EU to sanction corrupt individuals anywhere in the world.
It’s a welcome sign the EU is willing to step up in the global fight against kleptocrats: https://transparency.eu/transparency-international-eu-welcomes-eu-anti-corruption-sanctions-regime/

"With the next elections just over a year away, there's a real danger that a steady drip of revelations, together with a failure to enact reforms, will be the dominant narrative of the campaign." Our Director @michiel@eupolicy.social in a Brussels Times op-ed: https://www.brusselstimes.com/magazine/476329/why-qatargate-is-a-very-brussels-scandal

Today the French Minister of State for Europe, Laurence Boone, visited our office. We discussed the fallout from the recent #Qatargate corruption scandal and how to make sure the EU institutions adopt the necessary reforms to prevent such a scandal ever happening again. 

The European Parliament has taken a significant step in the fight against dirty money.

Read our full analysis of its position on the EU anti-money laundering package: https://transparency.eu/european-parliament-vote-strengthens-proposals-to-fight-money-laundering/

Yesterday the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered a ruling that could set the fight against cross-border corruption back by years.

We're talking about access to beneficial ownership data.

Our take on the ruling and next steps here: https://transparency.eu/eu-court-blow-to-b-o-transparency/