David Martin, MEP

David Martin welcomes tough new rules on MEPs conduct

1 December 2011

"The European Parliament has now adopted tougher rules than Westminster," said David Martin MEP welcoming the new rules on Members' conduct on behalf of all his fellow Labour MEPs.
 
"It has made explicit rules where they were implicit before," he said.
 
David Martin took the lead on the issue on behalf of all the Socialist and Democrat MEPs in the Constitutional Committee proposals, which were today passed by a very wide majority in a full meeting of the European Parliament in Brussels.
The new rules on conduct include:

• MEPs may not accept gifts valued at more than €150
• Any financial interest that could cause a conflict of interest must be declared in 30 days, and there is now a clearer definition of conflict of interest
• No 'special access' for former MEPs who lobby current MEPs
• Tightening the rules on MEPs' declaration on financial interests, for example they will have to declare all professional activities three years prior to Election
• A procedure for action against MEPs who breach the Code - including temporary suspension from parliamentary activities, withdrawal of a 'rapporteurship', and removal from an elected office.

"Though MEPs' private financial dealings have been above board more than 99.9% of the time since my first Election here in 1984, the European citizens have a right to feel confident that the laws made here have nothing to do with the private financial situations of any member from any country," David Martin added.

"The European Parliament now has very wide powers and we must do everything we can to ensure the citizens of Europe have confidence in us.

"All Labour MEPs are very proud that we have now adopted the highest standards of parliamentary behaviour," he concluded.