Adoption of changes to the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure

The European Parliament's plenary session approved on 13 December 2016 an overhaul of the chamber's Rules of Procedure. The changes aimed to improve transparency and efficiency.

The revised rules strenghthen the Code of Conduct for members of the Parliament (MEPs) and include an explicit ban on taking paid lobbying jobs. They also bring changes to the mandate for negotiations with the other EU institutions, to the rules of appointment for committees and to the flow of parliamentary work, in line with the implementationm of the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: [Opinion]: Time has come for the European Parliament to tackle conflicts of interest http://www.europeansources.info/record/opinion-time-has-come-for-the-european-parliament-to-tackle-conflicts-of-interest/

ESO: Background information: [Opinion]: MEPs need a long hard look in the mirror http://www.europeansources.info/record/opinion-meps-need-a-long-hard-look-in-the-mirror/

ESO: Background information: Parliament could bar unregistered lobbyists http://www.europeansources.info/record/parliament-could-bar-unregistered-lobbyists/

EurActiv, 14.12.16: Lawmakers tighten EU Parliament rules, but fail to ban all second jobs http://www.euractiv.com/section/public-affairs/news/lawmakers-tighten-parliament-procedures-but-fail-to-ban-all-second-jobs/

European Parliament: Background Note, 13.12.16: Parliament’s Rules of Procedure: what will change http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20161209BKG55540/

EUObserver, 14.12.16: MEPs agree crackdown on lobbying https://euobserver.com/institutional/136269

Blog: VoteWatch Europe, 14.12.16: Briefing: Take-aways from yesterday’s vote on transparency in the European Parliament http://www.votewatch.eu/blog/briefing-take-aways-from-yesterdays-vote-on-transparency-in-the-european-parliament/

Alter EU: Press Release, 13.12.16: Reformed ethics rules lack bite https://www.alter-eu.org/reformed-ethics-rules-lack-bite

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