Agreement on a Mandatory Transparency Register | News | European Parliament
Dec 15 2020
Agreement on a Mandatory Transparency Register
  • Instrument for a common culture of transparency between Parliament, Council and Commission
  • Registration of interest representatives de facto mandatory through conditionality and complementary transparency measures with equivalent effect
  • Interest representatives to comply with reinforced code of conduct

On 15 December, Parliament, Council and Commission reached a final political agreement to strengthen transparent and ethical interest representation.

The agreement establishes principles and rules for a coordinated approach to transparent and ethical interest representation at EU level, building a common culture of transparency while taking into account the signatory institutions’ respective specificities.

A wide scope

The reinforced Transparency Register will apply to all three institutions, including the Council for the first time. Other European Union institutions and bodies can voluntarily use it too, thereby increasing the potential for greater transparency at EU level. The member states’ permanent representations will also take part through unilateral voluntary measures.

Activities aimed at influencing the decision-making processes or the formulation or implementation of policy or legislation at EU-level will fall within the Transparency Register’s scope. The negotiators agreed on a non-exhaustive list that includes organising meetings or events, contributing to public consultations, communication campaigns, and preparing position papers or amendments. The same types of activities by third countries will also be covered, when they are carried out by entities without diplomatic status or through intermediaries. Interest representatives will have to declare the interests and objectives they promote, as well as to specify the clients they represent. All registrants will need to provide information on the resources that they devote to interest representation activities, with a new focus on sources of funding.

Some activities will remain possible without registration, such as spontaneous meetings, providing information at the request of the institutions, legal advice, and activities by social partners, political parties, intergovernmental organisations or public authorities of the member states. However, associations and networks of such public authorities engaging in interest representation activities can register, if they choose to do so. In order to avoid unnecessary administrative burden, activities carried out by interest representatives exclusively on behalf of an association or network of which they are a part will be considered to be activities of that network or association.

Conditionality and complementary transparency measures

Each signatory institution will make registration of interest representatives a precondition for certain activities, and may put in place complementary transparency measures to encourage registration. In doing so, the institutions will ensure that those measures are consistent with the agreement and contribute to a high standard of transparent and ethical interest representation. All measures must be made publicly available on a dedicated webpage. You can read more on this in the relevant press release (7.12.2020).

Code of conduct and operational structure

Applicants must observe a code of conduct in order to be eligible for registration. Stronger provisions on monitoring and investigations ensure that effective action can be taken if the code of conduct is not observed, potentially resulting in the removal of registrants. The existing Joint Transparency Register Secretariat in charge of these processes will evolve into a tripartite operational structure, in which the three institutions will be represented on an equal footing. A Management Board will oversee the overall implementation of the Agreement. Find out more in the

Press conference

A press conference (at 15.45 on 15 December, in Parliament’s Anna Politkovskaya press conference room) will be held with the negotiators, Parliament’s Vice-President Katarina Barley and Constitutional Affairs Committee Member Danuta Hübner, German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth for the Presidency of the Council, and Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová. Follow live or on VOD on EbS and Parliament’s Multimedia Centre.

Quotes

EP negotiator Katarina Barley (S&D, DE) said: “I am confident that the newly evolved Transparency Register will be effective, balanced, and increase citizens’ trust in the EU institutions. Our objectives have been achieved in this agreement: the EU will have a stronger Transparency Register, we have avoided unnecessary administrative burden for registrants, and the free mandate of European citizens’ elected representatives has been safeguarded. The improved rules provided in the code of conduct for interest representatives will also undoubtedly make a big positive impact.”

EP negotiator Danuta Hübner (EPP, PL) said: “”I am pleased that the new agreement expands the scope of the register to the Council. In addition, we have broadened the scope of the new transparency register. These, among other improvements, now allow us to monitor interest representation throughout the EU’s decision-making procedures in a more coherent manner. This agreement signals a new chapter for transparency in the EU”.”

Next steps

The agreement will have to undergo internal adoption procedures in each institution, after which it can be signed and enter into force. For Parliament, this means it will be referred to the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, and then tabled for a vote by the full House. In the Council, it will be submitted for approval by the Committee of Permanent Representatives and afterwards adopted at Council level. The College will need to formally adopt the Agreement and empower Vice-President Jourová to sign it on behalf of the Commission.

Background

The Commission presented its proposal for a new inter-institutional agreement on a mandatory Transparency Register for interest representatives covering the Parliament, Council and the Commission in 2016. Since 2011, the Parliament and the Commission have jointly operated a public register for interest representatives. The Council has been an observer since 2014. More information can be found on the dedicated EP webpage.

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Sakharov Prize 2020: press conference
Dec 15 2020
Sakharov Prize 2020: press conference

Press conference with EP President Sassoli and laureates

Sakharov Prize laureates Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Veranika Tsapkala will join EP President David Sassoli for a press conference on Wednesday at 12.40 CET.

This year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded in Octoberto the Belarusian democratic opposition, represented by, among others, opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Read more on all the laureates here.

The press conference on Wednesday will take place immediately after the 2020 Sakharov Prize award ceremony in Brussels and is expected to start at around 12.40 CET.

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MEPs reject the Polish nominee to the Court of Auditors
Dec 15 2020
MEPs reject the Polish nominee to the Court of Auditors
  • EP recommends that Marek Opioła should not be appointed to the Court of Auditors
  • The post of the Polish member has been vacant for over a year
MEPs on Tuesday voted to reject a candidate nominated by the Polish government to become a member of the European Court of Auditors (ECA).

The European Parliament, by 536 votes to 156 and 3 abstentions delivered, in a secret ballot, a negative opinion on Mr Marek Opioła, who was nominated by Poland to become a member of the European Court of Auditors.

After a hearing with the Polish candidate Mr Marek Opioła on 7 December, the EP Budgetary Control Committee recommended that the Parliament should not endorse his candidacy.

Mr Opioła is currently Vice President of the Polish Supreme Audit Office – read his full CV.

Background

The ECA candidates (one per member state) are put forward by member states and approved by the Council, after consulting the European Parliament. MEPs can either back the candidate or ask for the nomination to be withdrawn.

The Council is not bound to follow the Parliament’s recommendation. In 2016, MEPs delivered a negative opinion on the previous Polish ECA nominee Janusz Wojciechowski, who was nevertheless appointed to become a member of the ECA.

The Polish post has been vacant since Mr Wojciechowski became the European Commissioner for Agriculture on 1 December 2019.

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MEPs reach deal with Council on 2021-2027 EU health programme (EU4Health)
Dec 14 2020
MEPs reach deal with Council on 2021-2027 EU health programme (EU4Health)
  • Set up a European Health Response Mechanism to prepare the EU more effectively
  • A European monitoring, reporting and notification system is needed to overcome shortages of medicines and medical devices
  • Support for digitalisation of healthcare through a European eHealth Record

To close gaps exposed by COVID-19 and ensure that health systems can face future threats to public health, an ambitious EU health programme is needed, say MEPs.

On Friday, Parliament adopted its position on the Commission proposal to step up the EU’s action in the health sector significantly, through the so-called “EU4Health Programme” with 615 votes to 34 and 39 abstentions.

COVID-19 has shown that the EU urgently needs an ambitious programme to ensure that European health systems can face future health threats, so that the EU remains the healthiest region in the world, MEPs say. According to Parliament, this would not have been possible had the budget been reduced to €1.7 billion as proposed by member states. In the recent compromise on the EU’s long-term budget, MEPs convinced them to triple the budget for the programme (€5.1 billion).

Cross-border health threats

EU4Health is intended to prepare the EU more thoroughly for major cross-border health threats and make health systems more resilient. This should enable the EU to face not only future epidemics, but also long-term challenges such as an ageing population and inequalities in health.

MEPs also want to increase cooperation at EU level to be better prepared in case of a health crisis i.e. by supporting the creation of a European Health Response Mechanism. An EU communication portal for the public should also be set up to share information that has been thoroughly checked, to send alerts to European citizens and fight against disinformation. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) should have stronger mandates.

Ensuring medicines and medical devices are available and affordable in all member states

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the many weaknesses of national health systems including their dependence on non-EU countries to supply medicines, medical devices as well as personal protective equipment. The programme should therefore support the development of a European system for monitoring, reporting and notifying shortages of medicines, medical devices, vaccines, diagnostic tools, and other healthcare products. This would prevent the single market from becoming fragmented and ensure that those products are more available and affordable. Their supply chains would also be less dependent on non-EU countries.

To reach the programme’s objectives, the report also proposes greater focus on disease prevention by addressing health risks such as the harmful use of alcohol and tobacco , more robust health systems and digitalised healthcare by creating and applying the European eHealth Record. MEPs also want to achieve universal health coverage including access to sexual and reproductive health and rights and to strengthen the EU’s fight against cancer in synergy with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

To ensure the programme is implemented effectively, MEPs propose setting up a Steering Group consisting of independent public health experts.

Quote

After the vote, Parliament’s rapporteur Cristian-Silviu Buşoi (EPP, RO) said: “The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the need for well-defined and adequately-financed health instruments. We also need to boost innovation and invest more in health in general. It was crucial to increase funding for the EU4Health Programme from €1.7 billion to €5.1 billion in order to be able to deal with future pandemics and health threats, and to make our health systems more resilient.”

Next steps

Parliament is now ready to start negotiations with member states so that the programme can be implemented from the beginning of 2021.

Background

On 28 May 2020, the Commission put forward a new stand-alone EU4Health Programme for 2021-2027 as part of the Recovery Plan. The Health Programme was previously under the initial EU long-term budget 2021-2027 as one element of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).

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THE 33rd EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS: FINAL WINNERS News
Dec 12 2020
THE 33rd EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS: FINAL WINNERS News

Three Nominations for new LUX European Audience Film Award

During the virtual European Film Awards ceremony in Berlin on Saturday, Another Round, Corpus Christi, and Collective were shortlisted for the LUX Audience Award.

“Congratulations to the teams behind the three films that were just nominated in Berlin for the LUX award! All the nominations are fantastic and all would be worthy winners. Each film is very different, yet each is of outstanding artistic quality and bears a clear social message that deserves to be heard throughout the EU and beyond”, said Sabine Verheyen (EPP, DE), chair of the EP Culture and Education committee, on Saturday evening.

She also invited all Europeans to watch the films and vote for them. “We want European citizens to be a part of the award, especially now that the sector has been so affected by the pandemic. For the European Parliament, LUX Award is an important contribution to promote European culture and common values, which define our identity and our way of life. Culture can touch the hearts and minds of people in ways that politics will never be able to”, she added.

Viewers can vote from 13 December 2020 to 11 April 2021

Another Round by Thomas Vinterberg, Corpus Christi by Jan Komasa, and Collective by Alexander Nanau are the films shortlisted to win the LUX Audience Award. EU viewers can now be part of the jury and help determine the winner by rating the films via the platform luxaward.eu, to be launched on 13 December. Voting ends on 11 April 2021.

The three nominated films will be subtitled in the 24 official EU languages. Screenings in EU cinemas will be promoted – insofar as present health conditions permit – and be supported to increase visibility in all member states and in the UK.

From 1 March 2021, MEPs will start to cast their votes via a dedicated internal platform. The winner will be announced in the European Parliament plenary sitting on 28 April 2021.

Discovering the films

Another Round – the Danish-Swedish-Dutch co-production directed by Thomas Vinterberg is the story of a group of high-school teachers who decide to follow the theory inspired by Norwegian psychologist Finn Skårderud who believes humans are born with a 0.05% alcohol deficit in their blood. The group of friends decide to experiment in order to explain this conundrum.

Corpus Christi – the Polish-French co-production directed by Jan Komasa is the story a 20-year-old man who experiences a spiritual calling while detained in a youth centre. Due to his criminal record, he cannot become a priest. However, he accidentally takes over a local parish and brings the local community a novel approach to life and religion.

Collective – Romanian-Luxembourg co-production directed by Alexander Nanau is the gripping story of the joint efforts of doctors, government officials, and particularly investigative journalists who face corruption while uncovering a vast health-care fraud in Bucharest after a fire at the Colectiv night club.

Background

The winner of the LUX Audience Award – jointly awarded by Parliament and the European Film Academy and in partnership with the European Commission and the Europa Cinemas network – will be selected by MEPs and the audience (each accounting for 50% of the final decision).

The nominees will be screened across the EU during the LUX Film Days or LUX Audience Week until 11 April 2021. Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, cinema screenings have been postponed to the spring.

The award strives to promote creativity and diversity in European cinema, by supporting films produced in Europe and helping them to overcome language and distribution barriers.

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New volunteering programme for young people in Europe and beyond agreed
Dec 11 2020
New volunteering programme for young people in Europe and beyond agreed
News | European Parliament
  • Higher quality of activities and better conditions for volunteers
  • Mandatory plans to include people with fewer opportunities
  • Higher age limit for those volunteering in humanitarian aid

On Friday, Parliament and Council reached a political agreement on the European Solidarity Corps for 2021-2027, worth more than one billion EUR.

“Today’s agreement is excellent news for young people in the EU and beyond. The programme will start in January 2021 and Parliament managed to secure many gains for volunteers. Volunteering will the main activity of the programme, which has been our priority from the very beginning. We are now able to guarantee a higher quality of volunteering activities, by obliging hosts to offer new, useful skills and competences. Similarly, from now on we will be able to include many more people with fewer opportunities”, said Michaela Šojdrova (EPP,CZ), rapporteur on the European Solidarity Corps (ESC).

More value and better conditions for volunteers and target groups

MEPs ensured that host organisations will need to prove the quality of the volunteering activities on offer, with a focus on learning, and gaining skills and competences. Similarly, the organisations will need to prove they comply with occupational health and safety regulations.

Parliament also succeeded in better protecting target groups. Special clearance will be needed for volunteers working with children and people with disabilities. Programmes will also be required to prove that they contribute to positive societal changes in local communities.

Inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities

Thanks to MEPs, the Commission and member states will have to present how they plan to include people with fewer opportunities. Young people will be able to volunteer in their own country, in particular those with fewer opportunities.

Higher age limit for humanitarian aid volunteers

Since humanitarian action poses specific challenges, MEPs insisted that the age limit of humanitarian aid volunteers be extended to 35 with a possibility to hire experts and coaches without the age limit.

Greener volunteering

In line with the European Green Deal, volunteering activities will have to respect the “do no harm” principle and the programmes will later be evaluated taking into account their contribution to the EU’s climate objectives, such as choosing climate-neutral means of transportation.

Next steps

The agreement reached today still needs to be formally approved by both Parliament and Council.

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Deal on financing a just energy transition in EU regions
Dec 9 2020
Deal on financing a just energy transition in EU regions
News – European Parliament
  • 17.5 billion EUR to support people, the economy and the environment for 2021-2027
  • Investments in fossil fuels will not receive funding
  • Focus on least developed regions, outermost regions, islands

On Wednesday, EP and Council reached a provisional agreement on setting up the Just Transition Fund to mitigate the social impact of greening the economy.

The Just Transition Fund (JTF), worth 17.5 billion EUR, is one of the EU’s key tools to support regions in the transition towards climate neutrality by 2050.

During their talks, EU institutions agreed to broaden its scope to also fund micro-enterprises, universities and public research institutions, digital innovation and activities in the areas of education and social inclusion. Investments in renewable energy and energy storage technologies, investments in energy efficiency and heat production for renewables-based district heating, smart and sustainable local mobility will also be financed.

The decommissioning or construction of nuclear power stations, activities linked to tobacco products and investment related to the production, processing, transport, distribution, storage or combustion of fossil fuels cannot be funded through the JTF.

At the initiative of the Parliament, a “Green Rewarding Mechanism” will be introduced, if JTF resources are increased after 31 December 2024. The additional resources will be distributed among member states, with those that succeed in reducing greenhouse gas emitted by their industrial facilities receiving more funding.

Other key measures agreed

  • In their territorial just transition plans, member states have to focus on supporting outermost regions and islands and earmark specific amounts from their national allocations;
  • Businesses in difficulty may receive support in compliance with temporary EU state aid rules established to address exceptional circumstances;
  • Resources may be transferred from other cohesion funds on a voluntary basis;
  • The proportion of the investments to be provided by EU funding (co-financing) is set at maximum of 85% for less developed regions, 70% for transition regions and 50% for more developed regions.

Quote

Rapporteur Manolis Kefalogiannis (EPP, GR) said: “The European Parliament gave a strong political signal: the social, economic and environmental impact of the energy transition in the most affected regions must be addressed. We took a pragmatic approach that will allow us to move into a new green era without leaving anyone behind.”

Next steps

Parliament and Council are now expected to endorse the content of the agreement.

Background

The Commission published in January 2020 a legislative proposal on the Just Transition Fund (JTF), the first legislative proposal implementing the priorities set out in the European Green Deal, followed in May by an amended proposal containing an increase of the Fund’s resources. In July, the European Council set the financial envelope of the JTF at EUR 7.5 billion from the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, supplemented by EUR 10 billion from the EU Recovery Instrument.

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