Debate: Establishment of an independent EU Ethics Body
Date: TUESDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Věra Jourová
Language: EN

The Commission has been uncompromising in delivering the highest standards of transparency and ethics. The Treaties and the Code of Conduct for the Members of the European Commission require us to observe the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct during but also after the end of the mandate. Most institutions of the EU have a framework which regulates the individual ethical obligations applicable to their Members. They are based on general institutional principles and on provisions of the Treaties, and they are set out in more detail, either in the Rules of Procedure or in codes of conduct of the institutions. There are, however, differences in the applicable rules across the institutions. While some differences can be explained by the autonomous role of each institution under the Treaties and by the different risks inherent in performing the duties of Members, it has become clear that a common set of strong ethical standards is needed. Our institutions must work together and join their efforts to develop a common culture of ethics and transparency. In the field of transparency, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission reached a major milestone with the adoption of the Interinstitutional Agreement on the Transparency Register in 2021. The register is the recognition of the importance of a common framework to coordinate the approach to transparency amongst the participating institutions. President von der Leyen mentioned already in her political guidelines of 2019 that the Commission is also supporting the creation of an independent ethics body common to all EU institutions. The European Parliament has been working between 2019 and 2021 on its position in this regard, and I would like to thank you for your impulses and ideas. The adoption of the Parliament’s resolution in September 2021 on the establishment of an interinstitutional ethics body was an important contribution to the discussions between the institutions, as clarity and an overall agreement on the scope, role and competences of the body are needed. The resolution was also the opportunity for the Commission to share its views that the method for setting up a joint ethical body has to be respectful of the particularities of each institution, including their respective institutional and democratic roles as set out in the Treaties. I am happy to announce that based on this extensive work and on the results of the contacts with the other institutions, the Commission will, in the next weeks, table a proposal for a joint agreement between the institutions to establish an interinstitutional ethics body. To be truly interinstitutional, this body should be common to all institutions and advisory bodies mentioned in Article 13 of the Treaty of the European Union. While work on drafting the proposal is ongoing, the contacts with all institutions continue to ensure that we propose something meaningful and feasible. The Commission believes that the interinstitutional body should serve to ensure, first, that we have common, clear and high standards of integrity and independence in all European institutions; second, that we all have similar control mechanisms in all institutions; and third, that differences between the institutions and the institutional balance established by the founding Treaties remain respected. The establishment of the body would demonstrate the importance that all institutions attach to high ethical standards for their Members and will thereby contribute to strengthening trust in the institutions and in their Members. The interinstitutional body will allow the institutions to benefit from their mutual experiences, to learn from each other, and to reduce discrepancies where those are not necessary or justified by their different institutional roles. The general benefit would be better public understanding of the ethical framework, a common culture for Members of our institutions and more clarity on what is acceptable and what is not, for everyone inside and outside the institutions. Hence, it would also serve as an important preventive measure aimed at up-front respect of clear rules. Ethics and integrity are not something someone else can do for us. Ethics and integrity are a daily task for everyone. But what an EU ethics body can do is to help us to live up collectively to the high standards that the citizens and we ourselves should expect from us. This is a common responsibility for all of us. Thank you for your attention.