EN Official Journal of the European Union C 250/2

DECISION OF THE BUREAU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

of 11 June and 2 July 2018

amending the Implementing Measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament

(2018/C 250/03)

THE BUREAU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 223(2) thereof,

Having regard to the Statute for Members of the European Parliament (1),

Having regard to Rule 25 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

(1) In accordance with the current version of Article 12(1) of the Implementing Measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament (2) (‘the Implementing Measures’), it is not possible to attest Members’ attendance by electronic means. Furthermore, the central attendance register (CAR) requires substantial human resources and involves expensive manual processing that often gives rise to errors.

(2) A voluntary test phase during which the CAR is to be supplemented by a computerised system using biometric technology, should be introduced in order to allow for the verification of the reliability and confidentiality guarantees that are required to provide reasonable assurances of Members' attendance.

(3) A new article should be inserted in the Implementing Measures in order to provide a legal basis to enable the Parliament to ensure that, where an accredited parliamentary assistant has been recognised as the victim of harassment by a Member, the financial obligations in respect of that assistant will continue to be met from the parliamentary assistance expenses of the Member concerned even though the Member concerned shall not be entitled to the provision of services from that assistant,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Implementing Measures are amended as follows:

(1) in Article 12, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: ‘1. A Member’s attendance shall be attested by his or her signature in the record of attendance available in the Chamber or meeting room or by his or her signature in the central attendance register entered during its opening hours as laid down by the Bureau. An electronic attestation of a Member’s attendance may be used instead of his or her signature.’;

(2) the following article is inserted: ‘Article 34a Financial consequences of a proven case of harassment of an accredited parliamentary assistant If, following an internal harassment procedure in which both parties have been heard, the President establishes that a Member is guilty of the psychological or sexual harassment of an accredited parliamentary assistant, all the Member’s financial obligations under that accredited assistant’s contract, in particular the assistant’s pay, shall, by way of derogation from Article 33, be deducted by Parliament from its defrayal of the parliamentary assistance expenses of that Member and the Member shall not be entitled to the provision of any further services by that assistant.’

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Decision shall apply from 1 September 2018.

(1) Decision 2005/684/EC, Euratom of the European Parliament of 28 September 2005 adopting the Statute for Members of the European Parliament (OJ L 262, 7.10.2005, p. 1).

(2) Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 19 May and 9 July 2008 concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament (OJ C 159, 13.7.2009, p. 1).