Transparency and Members' financial interests (Annex I of the EP Rules of Procedure)

The committee adopted the second draft report by Mr Jean-Thomas NORDMANN by 10 votes to 2 with 3 abstentions. The new measures should supplement the implementing provisions of article 9 of the Rules of Procedure, as contained in Annex I of the Rules, and have been largely based on the conclusions of the COT working group which was set up by the Conference of Presidents last January. Public register of payments and gifts: At the time of election, each MEP should personally make known the precise details relating to: - his or her professional activities and any other office or paid activity; - support in the form of finance, material or personnel provided by third parties, which is in addition to the resources which the European Parliament provides to an MEP within the scope of his or her political mandate. The identity of the donor must be made known. Members forbade themselves from receiving any other gift or donation in the exercise of their mandate. These declarations must be updated annually. The register must be open to the public. The Bureau of the European Parliament may periodically draw up a list of particulars which, in its opinion, have to be declared in the register. Financial declarations: On the subject of financial declarations, the report states that, in anticipation of a set of common rules for MEPs, which will replace the various national regulations currently in force, Members of the European Parliament shall be subject to the obligations which are prescribed for them under the legislation of the Member State in which they were elected. Mr NORDMANN asked for his first report to be referred back to committee in January 1996, following the rejection in plenary of the report by Mr Glyn FORD (PSE, UK) on lobbying.�