EU Parliament ethics system 'not fit for the job'

Euronews

14-03-2025

The latest investigations centred on the European Parliament, this time related to Chinese tech giant Huawei, show that the EU's current ethics system is not fit for the job, according to EU policy expert Alberto Alemanno, Jean Monnet Professor of EU Law at HEC in Paris.
In 2022, the European Parliament proposed a 14-point action plan in the wake of a cash-for-influence scandal, but it's yet to be implemented. At the time, MEPs and assistants were under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes to act in the interest of foreign actors like Qatar and Morocco.
This week once more Belgian investigators searched homes and Huawei's Brussels headquarters on suspicion that the Chinese company paid MEPs to influence legislation in the European Parliament. Huawei denies any wrongdoing.
Currently, enforcement of the lobbying rules is in the hands of the European Parliament and other European institutions, which basically means that there is a self-policing system, Alemanno said in an interview with Euronews.
"By design, the system is not working and is designed not to work, because there are no political incentives for the president in the European Parliament, who is also a political party member to enforce those rules, because if those are enforced, one, they could also be enforced against their political party. And I think this is really what explains why the current European ethics system is not fit for the job," he said.
According to Alemanno, sitting and former MEPs are still able to peddle influence in the current environment.
"The members of the European Parliament today are still allowed to have side jobs so they can be members of the European Parliament, but also lawyers, lobbyists and advocate for different kind of causes in society that put them in a situation of conflict of interest," he said.
Indeed Alemanno blames the large political parties in the EU for watering down legislation. The Parliament decided to establish an ethics body, he said, but it's still not functioning.
However, despite the repeated corruption and transparency scandals, Alemanno does not think the EU's reputation is put at risk.
"It's very easy to qualify the European Union as a whole, as a very corrupt organisation, but in reality, even these scandals prove the opposite," he said.
"It's not the European Union per se a corrupt institution, but some of the members, a very few members of the European Parliament, which is one of the institutions, have been lending themselves to a possible attempt of corruption," he said.
Closed shops, bread lines, neighborhoods reduced to rubble for over a decade, residents recovering from years of war and trauma — this is what Human Rights Watch researchers saw on recent visits to Damascus, our first in 15 years.
While Syrians spoke of their hopes for a better future following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in December, fear was also palpable, particularly among minorities and those vulnerable to retaliation, and they left with a sense of foreboding about what could be coming next.
The country's political and economic collapse, the proliferation of armed groups, and the sheer scale of devastation would be daunting enough. Now, mass summary killings and atrocities in the coastal region have made it clear that the road ahead is even more perilous.
Without urgent international action, Syria risks sliding into renewed cycles of violence and instability. Europe is uniquely placed to support Syrians' aspirations for justice and respect for human rights.
But its timing and level of ambition will be key. This should be the European Union's message at the Brussels Conference on Syria next Monday.
Given the violence and atrocities since last Thursday, it is a matter of utmost urgency for the international community, including Europe, to take steps to ensure the protection of civilians by providing technical and financial support to build a responsible, accountable, disciplined security sector and judiciary that upholds the rule of law.
The EU should also engage with authorities to ensure that independent investigators, including international mechanisms and civil society groups, can do their job properly and without obstacles.
Cooperation with the UN Commission of Inquiry and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria, including permission for them to open offices in Syria, would be key first steps.
The EU is also well-placed to provide support and expertise to lay the groundwork for credible, comprehensive transitional justice and accountability processes, and to encourage authorities to join the International Criminal Court.
The EU should also actively address other sources of tensions, including in the northeast with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, with which an integration agreement into Syria's institutions was signed on Monday, and effectively press Israel to refrain from violations and threats of abuses in southwest Syria.
Addressing these foundational problems is only part of the challenge to achieve lasting stability. Syrians also face an economic collapse of staggering proportions. Driving through Damascus – and knowing conditions are even harsher beyond the capital – offered a stark reminder of the devastation years of conflict and oppression have wrought.
With 90% of Syrians living below the poverty line and half of the population unable to access or afford enough quality food, the scale of humanitarian need is overwhelming.
Western countries should realise that continued international sanctions are hampering Syria's recovery and Syrians' access to basic services. The EU's recent suspension of sanctions in some key sectors, like energy and transport, and easing of those on its financial sector, has been a good step but more is needed.
The EU should urgently lead efforts to prevent over-compliance with sanctions that harm ordinary Syrians and assess the impact of remaining EU sanctions, including on banking and dual-use materials, on Syrians' economic and social rights.
The EU should also offer a very clear and public roadmap to Syrian authorities on the steps needed to lift remaining sanctions.
Finally, the EU should closely coordinate and press other sanctioning entities, especially the US, to follow suit. While it might be tempting to use sectoral sanctions as political leverage, they are not the most effective or fair tool for supporting Syrians' aspirations for justice and recovery.
Especially without specific benchmarks, such sanctions risk becoming a blunt instrument that prolongs suffering rather than fosters positive and meaningful change.
Meanwhile, discussions by Human Rights Watch team in Damascus revealed limited space for civil society to operate in Syria, affecting both groups providing aid or willing to play a role in the country's transition.
Colleagues told us about restrictions and administrative obstacles to their work, including re-registration and other requirements that resemble those in place under al-Assad. More openness to the work of independent groups should be a key message for the EU to articulate.
The EU should also make commitments to those who found protection in Europe or who may still seek it out. EU ministers have rightly supported allowing Syrian refugees to undertake go-and-see-visits without losing their legal status. The Commission and every member state should make allowing these visits a priority.
The fall of al-Assad brought a mixture of hope and uncertainty for millions of Syrians at home or in exile. If the EU and its members are truly committed to helping Syrians to break with decades of repression and impunity, they should redouble and speed up efforts to assist Syria and make it clear to Syrians they will support their rights and well-being.
Philippe Dam is EU Director, Advocacy, at Human Rights Watch.