Reforms already underway will address substance of Ombudsman's concerns (Diana Wallis MEP)

Diana Wallis MEP <info@dianawallismep.org.uk>

Reforms already underway will address substance of Ombudsman's concerns

July 15, 2008 3:20 PM

Reforms already underway will address substance of Ombudsman's concerns "The European Parliament has already adopted a series of major reforms to its system of allowances for Members. These amount to a substantial increase in transparency and will largely address the spirit of the Ombudsman's remarks," said Diana Wallis, EP Vice President responsible for transparency.

She continued: "Parliament has noted with interest the comments of the European Ombudsman in his decision on a complaint from a Maltese journalist. The report comes at a time when major changes to the expenses and allowances system are being introduced."

The changes already underway include:

· a new MEPs' statute from the 2009 elections, with a common salary, coupled with a new system for travel expenses, based directly on reimbursement of ticket prices;

· a major change to the system for employment of assistants after the elections, with those working in Parliament's main places of work (Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg) employed under the EU staffing system and qualified paying agents handling the pay and social security arrangements for most assistance requirements of MEPs in their Member States;

· with immediate effect, no close family members will be given new contracts as assistants, although existing contracts may be extended over no more than one Parliamentary term if this is noted in the MEP's public declaration of interests;

· the secondary pension scheme is to be phased out from 2009;

· Parliament's bureau has already decided to increase the transparency of the expenses system by publishing shortly on the EP website information on the expenses and allowances for Members, including the sums available under each category. The Ombudsman welcomed this in his decision. This information has in any case been provided on request for some time.

A difference of interpretation

The Ombudsman's interpretation of the legislation in force differs from that of Parliament on the balance to be struck between protection of personal data and public access to documents. Parliament remains confident that it is fully observing its obligations under the legislation. The Ombudsman points out that a separate case involving the Commission and dealing with a similar point of law is still the subject of litigation before the Court of Justice.

A survey of national Parliaments in the EU showed that most, like the EP, do not publish the detail of individual payments under their allowances schemes.

Parliament's view is that publishing complete details of individual payments expenses and allowances would breach its duty to protect personal data (for example by making public the precise salaries of individual Members' assistants, who are currently employed under private law contracts) and could compromise the free and independent exercise of the mandate of an MEP.

Proper controls over the use of public money are in place

Expenditure under the allowances system is subject to a series of controls and checks, both internally (by Parliament's administration, through the internal audit process and via the Committee on Budgetary Control) and externally (by the EU Court of Auditors). Where these checks reveal weaknesses, changes are made, as at present.