EP Rules of procedure: fight against Community fraud, inscription of the internal conditions and modes in an annex

The committee adopted the second version of the report by Mr Giorgio NAPOLITANO (PES, I) on amending Parliament's Rules of Procedure to incorporate a decision adapting the interinstitutional agreement on OLAF in line with the EP's specific requirements. The second report incorporated 4 new amendments aimed at allaying the fears expressed by some MEPs that the agreement might jeopardize their independence. The new report maintains the principle whereby officials have a duty to supply information, but establishes a new distinction: an official who becomes aware of evidence relating to a failure to comply with the obligations of Community officials shall inform his Head of Service or Director-General or, if he considers it useful, his Secretary-General or OLAF direct; in the case of evidence relating to a failure to comply with the analagous obligations of Members, the official who becomes aware of this shall inform the President of the European Parliament. The amendment is aimed at enabling the President of Parliament to act as a 'filter' for malicious or obviously unfounded allegations. The first version of the report stipulated that the duty to supply information must apply without prejudice to confidentiality requirements laid down in law or the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure. One of the amendments in the second report seeks to place greater emphasis on this aspect, stating that "rules governing Members' parliamentary immunity and the right to refuse to testify shall remain unchanged".