Activities of Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO related to 2020/2133(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on strengthening transparency and integrity in the EU institutions by setting up an independent EU ethics body
Amendments (7)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Welcomes the commitment taken by the European Commission before the European Parliament for the establishment of an independent EU ethics body;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Underlines the need to review and align relevant EU legislation and codes of conduct, requiring full transparency on employment or projects taken up by high- ranking and senior officials of EU institutions and agencies, including after leaving public office;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the important role that the European Ombudsman plays in ensuring high standards of transparency and integrity in the EU institutions; stresses its key role at monitoring the proper functioning of the European public administration, which should continue after the establishment of the EU ethics body; calls on its Committee on Constitutional Affairs committee to consider and to take into account the experience provided by the European Ombudsman when reflecting on the possible establishment of an independent ethics body; suggests the setting up of an EU interinstitutional working group that is tasked with discussing and formulating recommendations on all aspects related to the subject mattersuch body, which should be holding a clear mandate, and operating at a technical level with a permanent, independent, impartial, collegiate and gender-balanced structure;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the important role played by Parliament as representative of the citizens of the EU, including in its oversight of the political evaluation of the Commission and other institutions on behalf of the public, as well as to ensure suitability of certain senior positions; recalls that the European Parliament should continue holding this role after the establishment of the EU ethics body;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the fact that strengthening the existing procedures on the basis of analysis and evaluation of their effectiveness and public response is generally more effective that the future ethics body should take on the role of the ethics committees operating in the different EU institutions and agencies; and work towards the harmonization of the different interpretations of the norms and terms within the EU institutions, such as “conflict of interest”, to avoid divergences and in pursuit of the clarity that citizens demand the introduo continue growing their trust in the functioning of new the EU institutiones;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers, as that, from the viewpoint of the committee most directly engaged with the public opinion and public response to the institutions’ transparency and integrity, that the democratic approach and political responsibility remains the strongest control mechanism in any constitutional democracy, as well as in the EU; stresses the need for further strengthening of the democratic accountability mechanisms at EU levele future ethics body should operate in a depoliticised manner and perform in an independent way, to further strengthen and guarantee the highest standards of accountability, transparency and integrity at EU level, to continue growing trust of the citizens in the EU institutions.