Anti-secrecy MEPs snub transparency

Date: 16/07/01

By John Shelley

TWO prominent MEPs who have been outspoken in their criticism of Commission secrecy have left themselves open to charges of hypocrisy after refusing to post details of their financial interests on the Internet. Freddy Blak and Gabriele Stauner, both members of the influential budgetary control committee, are among 41 MEPs whose personal declarations do not appear on the European Parliament's website. A European Voice investigation has found that while most members are keen to prove they have nothing to hide, others - the largest 'no' contingents come from Germany and Austria - believe their financial interests are their own business.

When asked why he had decided not to allow publication of his outside interests on the website, Blak responded: "Why should you know it? What I use my money for, it's not for you."

And Stauner, well-known in the Parliament for her attacks on Commission secrecy over the Fléchard butter subsidies fraud case, issued a statement through her office, saying she thought it was "ridiculous" that her interests should be put on the Internet.

She did however later fax a copy of the details to European Voice, which merely reveal that she had earned less than €511 from lecturing in law at Regensburg University and acting as an examiner in Munich.

Other well-known figures among the 41 members whose declarations do not appear online are one of the European Parliament's vice-presidents, Guido Podestà. He insisted he had authorised it and there had been a "mix-up".

Financial declarations by the other 585 MEPs were posted on the Internet for the first time earlier this month. They arenot immediately visible: the document detailing interests has to be downloaded first.

Previously the public had only been able to view the declarations by consulting a central register - not available online - in Brussels or Strasbourg.

The posting of records on the Internet is the culmination of years of work by reform-minded MEPs and was agreed in principle as far back as October 1999. However, due to "legal problems", parliamentary chiefs say they are still only able to put up the details of members who have given their permission. The 41 members whose declarations do not appear online either refused to give permission or failed to respond to the request for it in time. Reformers say the posting of financial interests is crucial for public confidence and to ensure that MEPs do not have a conflict of interest.

British Liberal MEP Nick Clegg said: "Elected office of any sort does carry some sacrifices and responsibilities. I just don't think the exercise of improving transparency has any credibility unless all MEPs provide the same amount of information."

Cecilia Malmström, Swedish Liberal MEP, said: "It's astonishing that both these people [Blak and Stauner] are known for calling for more transparency, and both have criticised the Commission a lot because of its lack of transparency. They should be setting a good example."

UK socialist Richard Corbett, one of the MEPs who has spearheaded the campaign, said: "I don't see any valid reason for saying that any supposedly public document should not be put on the web." Of those whose interests have not been posted online, 18 are from the centre-right EPP-ED group, the largest political force.

All MEPs in the Green and Liberal groups have their details posted. Germany has the largest number of members whose declarations have not been published with 13, Austria also scores disproportionately highly with nine. Italy has eight and France six.

The names of MEPs whose financial declarations do not appear online are:

EPP-EDD GROUP: Michl Ebner (I), Karl-Heinz Florenz (D), Werner Langen (D), Peter Michael Mombaur (D), Hartmut Nassauer (D), Doris Pack (D), Guido Podestà (I), Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl (D), Ursula Stenzel (A), Ioannis Averoff (GR), Giuseppe Brienza (I), Marialiese Flemming (A), Brice Hortefeux (F), Christa Klass (D), Karsten Knolle (D), Christoph Werner Konrad (D), Kurt Lechner (D), Francesco Musotto (I), Hubert Pirker (A), Reinhard Rack (A), Paul Rübig (A) Agnes Schierhuber (A), Gabriele Stauner (D).
SOCIALISTS: Freddy Blak (DK), Elisa Maria Damião (P), Karin Jöns (D), Karin Junker (D), Christa Prets (A), Gilles Savary (F), Sérgio Sousa Pinto (P).
EUROPEAN UNITED LEFT/NORDIC GREEN LEFT:Pedro Marset Campos (E)
UNION FOR EUROPE OF THE NATIONS:Cristiana Muscardini (I), Jean-Charles Marchiani (F), Mariotto Segni (I), Francesco Turchi (I)
EUROPE OF DEMOCRACIES AND DIVERSITIES: Véronique Mathieu (F), Jean-Louis Bernié (F)
INDEPENDENTS/NON-ATTACHED: Gian Paolo Gobbo (I), Carl Lang (F), Wolfgang Ilgenfritz (A), Hans Kronberger (A)

List compiled on 10 July

Two prominent MEPs who have been outspoken in their criticism of Commission secrecy have left themselves open to charges of hypocrisy after refusing to post details of their financial interests on the Internet.