MEPs’ allowances: Ombudsman welcomes more information but criticises EP’s failure to comply with transparency law

The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, criticised the European Parliament (EP) for failing to comply with the law on transparency as regards the allowances received by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). This follows a complaint from a Maltese journalist, whose request for details of certain MEPs' allowances was rejected by the EP on the grounds of data protection. The Ombudsman welcomed the EP's decision to publish general information on MEPs' allowances on its website, as well as its acknowledgment that the public has the right to know how MEPs spend public money. He regretted, however, that the EP has interpreted the law in a way that weakens the principle of transparency and conflicts with a relevant recent judgment of the Court of First Instance.