For the ECR Group, which co-signed the joint resolution on the handling of the Qatar bribery scandal, it is important that the European Parliament learns a serious lesson and improves its internal organisation and transparency.

ECR MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski said:

“The corruption scandal in the European Parliament has exposed hypocrisy and double standards that cannot be tolerated.

“We need to face the truth. The case of Qatar is only the tip of the iceberg.”

The ECR Group believes that it is imperative to set up both a committee of enquiry to look into the current case and a special committee to start an internal reform process.

The ECR Group points out that other countries are also known to be trying to interfere massively in the decision-making processes of the European Parliament. We therefore see a need for a general assessment of how to deal with state lobbying.

Saryusz-Wolski concluded:

“Special attention must be paid to cases of high-level lobbying to identify potential cases of corruption, also from Russia, Iran and China. That’s why the ECR Group proposed plenary amendments in this sense.”