A golden opportunity awaits

Date: 11/01/1996

MEPs are on the verge of approving new rules which would do much to boost public confidence in their elected representatives in Europe - and counter growing concern over the role played by lobbyists in EU decision-making.

But there are reportedly a number of members of the European Parliament who are trying to delay a decision on the planned new rules by insisting more discussion is needed before they are approved and suggesting they should be referred back to the rules committee for more work.

This would be folly. At a time when public cynicism about politicians is reaching new heights, fuelled by a series of scandals involving national parliamentarians in several European countries, MEPs have an excellent opportunity to lead the way in setting new standards which others may then be encouraged to follow.

No one is suggesting that MEPs are in any way abusing their position or that lobbyists do not have a legitimate role to play in the decision-making process. Indeed, the proposals for new rules governing the activities of lobbyists have been praised by those who have already signed up to a voluntary code of conduct.

If those who want to delay approval of the new rules get their way, it would be a serious blow to the Parliament's efforts to improve its public image.

It would also seriously undermine the demands made by MEPs for a more detailed breakdown of European Commissioners' outside interests and the expenses incurred during the course of their work - backed by the threat that the money to pay for such expenses may be withheld in future if parliamentarians are not given the full facts about where it goes.

The case made by MEPs who have called for more extensive rights to vet candidates for senior EU posts would also be gravely weakened.

MEPs have been at the forefront of the campaign for greater openness and transparency in the work of the EU institutions. It would be an act of brazen hypocrisy to insist that others should apply these principles more rigorously in their everyday work, while at the same time refusing to do the same themselves.

If parliamentarians duck a decision on these vital issues at their plenary session in Strasbourg next week, it will simply serve to raise doubts in the public's mind about the integrity and honesty of their elected representatives, doubts which may be groundless but are bound to grow if MEPs behave as if they have something to hide.

In every country where steps have been taken to improve the image of politicians in the face of rising concern about 'sleaze', there have been some who argued vigorously in favour of maintaining the status quo.

Dire warnings about the imagined consequences of such a change in the rules, delivered by those who mouth platitudes about the need for more openness and transparency but leave it to others to actually produce the goods, must be ignored.

MEPs have a golden opportunity next week to demonstrate that the EU can set an example for others to follow. They must seize it.