Request for the waiver of the immunity of Maria Spyraki

The European Parliament decided by 408 votes to 150, with 48 abstentions, to waive the immunity of Maria Spyraki's.

As a reminder, the European Chief Prosecutor has requested the waiver of Maria Spyraki’s parliamentary immunity in the context of an ongoing investigation into facts that may constitute incitement to defraud the financial interests of the EU.

The alleged irregularities, of which Maria Spyraki is deemed to have been aware, relate in particular to the failure by one of her accredited parliamentary assistants (APAs) to be present at his place of work between November 2016 and February 2020 and to the performance of his duties and, the submission of mission orders and statements of expenses and the collection of reimbursements for missions which were not carried out by two of Maria Spyraki’s APAs.

Maria Spyraki has repaid to Parliament all amounts unduly paid and identified to date. The repayment of these amounts does not exclude her potential criminal liability.

Parliament considered that the alleged offences do not constitute an opinion or a vote cast by Maria Spyraki in the performance of the duties of a Member of the European Parliament. Moreover, in the present case, Parliament has not found any evidence establishing the existence of a fumus persecutionis, i.e. factual elements indicating that the investigation in question was initiated with the intention of damaging the political activity of the Member in his capacity as a Member of the European Parliament.

Consequently, following the recommendation of its Legal Affairs Committee, the European Parliament decided to waive Maria Spyraki's immunity.