The European Parliament demands to rearm against potential foreign interference

He European Parliament (PE) asked this Thursday to rearm its structures and internal ethical standards against third country interference seven months after catargate and the process of institutional reform that is already underway to avoid, or at least make it more difficult for, a similar scandal to happen again.

In a lengthy resolution approved with 441 votes in favor, 70 against and 71 abstentions, the MPs demand for themselves and all the staff of the European Parliament internal regulations “inspired by the strictest standards in terms of transparency, integrity and responsibility” and to protect the institution from any foreign attempt to influence its processes, Efe gathers.

Two members of the European Parliament accused in Catargate, Eva Kaili and Marc Tarabella, were present at the vote in Strasbourg; Tarabella stood for this condemnation of her own alleged criminal activities, while Kaili, who participated in the vote on other files, did not exercise her right to vote on this matter.

The text approved this Thursday is the result of months of work by a special parliamentary committee on foreign interference in European democratic processes, which was supposed to end months ago, but whose mandate was extended in the weeks after the Catargate revelations. a view of drawing lessons from experience.

“Possible gaps in the rules and procedures of the institutions that allow illegal behavior must be systematically discovered and exhaustively filled”, the text demands, which contains many claims that the European Parliament is already working on internally, but also others that many representatives do not want , such as greater control over your parallel work.

The European Parliament, its members say, must strengthen its security culture because “it is a regular subject of attempts to interfere, as a result of the influence its positions have on the world”; Thus, they demand that all deputies and employees undergo mandatory training that makes them “aware that they are potential targets of foreign agents.”

Among other measures it is sought prevent maintenance of buildings, computer systems or cameras from being carried out by companies from third countries and that this institutional computer infrastructure is continuously revised and invested in to ensure its resistance to attacks.

Use of institutional image

The European Parliament must also work to prevent misuse of the institution’s name that creates a false image of legitimacy, such as the use of its logo at events organized by political parties at the Parliament’s headquarters or when MEPs travel on missions abroad, including electoral missions.

The representatives also demand, on the other hand, that for every regulation that is processed in the European Parliament, a statement on the absence of conflict of interest must be presented, and that it can be seen more transparently with whom each legislator working on a certain file has met.

None of the requirements in this text are binding on the European Parliament, which has already initiated some reforms — for example, in its revolving door policy or the new obligation to appear in the Transparency Register to participate in any event in the facilities. Eurocámara—and plans to complete the most far-reaching change to internal regulations after the summer.