PN approves transparency rules for MEPs

A new set of rules which ensure higher standards of transparency for Nationalist members of the European Parliament were yesterday evening unanimously approved by the PN's executive committe.

The party said this morning that candidates contesting the European Parliament elections on behalf of the PN would bind themselves to these rules should they be elected in office.

The rules were drafted and presented by MEP Simon Busuttil, who stated that whereas PN MEPs had consistently respected all established parliamentary rules on allowances, the parliamentary rules themselves attracted criticism for not being sufficiently transparent. The European Ombudsman had even called on the European Parliament to redress the situation.

The rules include that PN MEPs would not recruit in their office any family members of family, notably spouses and/or parents or children.

PN MEPs had to provide specific information relating to the people they engaged in their office using parliamentary secretarial assistance allowances, including the name, position held and whether the position was full-time or part-time.

Another rule was that any unused portion of the allocation of parliamentary secretarial assistance allowances should be refunded to the European Parliament, disclosing the amount repaid.

PN MEPs were being asked to provide details on how they usd the general expenditure allowance granted to them to run their MEP office. They had to provide a full statement of their total expenses claimed for the purposes of travelling as well as a statement of the total daily subsistence allowance received from the EP.

According to the rules the party approved, PN MEPs had to produce a declaration of financial interest on an annual basis listing any offices, whether public or private, they held for remuneration other than their post in the EP.

They had to post a copy of the transparency rules on their website in a manner that was visibly accessible to the public. In the same way, by January 15, PN MEPs had to also post a copy of the declaration of financial interest.

By January 31, they had to produced accounts and submit them to a qualified auditor, who would be asked to produce a certification statement attesting that they were produced in an appropriate manner, the public funds made available by the EP to the MEP were used in full compliance with the EP's established rules and any funds due back to the EP were repaid.

By the end of March of each year, PN MEPs would have to post a copy of a “Transparency Commitment” form, duly completed with full details of all funds received, as well as a copy of the auditor’s statement on their website in a manner that is visibly accessible to the public.

The PN said that these rules established a level of transparency for PN MEPs which went beyond the EP's requirements.

Presenting the new rules, Dr Busuttil said that the PN was setting an example. He hoped that all the other political parties in Malta would similarly commit themselves to high standards of transparency.