# EU Institutions Reach Agreement on New Ethics Watchdog

- Link: https://euemployment.eu/eu-institutions-reach-agreement-on-new-ethics-body/
- Published: 2024-03-19T17:34:19+01:00
- Author: Ben

_Brussels, 16 March 2024_

**After years of negotiations, European Union institutions have finally in principle
agreed on the establishment of an independent ethics body to monitor potential conflicts
of interest and unethical behaviour among lawmakers and officials in all EU institutions.**

The breakthrough came during a recent conference where representatives from seven
EU institutions, including the [European Parliament](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-parliament/)
and the [European Commission](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-commission/),
endorsed a draft proposal to create the EU Independent Ethics Body (IEB).

The push for an ethics watchdog gained momentum following the 2022 corruption scandal,
known as “QatarGate,” which highlighted the need for stronger measures to protect
the EU’s financial interests and restore public trust in its institutions.

Under the agreed proposal, the IEB will be composed of five independent experts 
tasked with investigating potential conflicts of interest, revolving door cases,
and other ethical breaches involving EU [Commissioners](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/commissioner/),
Members of the [European Parliament](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-parliament/)(
MEPs), and staff members of participating institutions.

The body will have the power to launch administrative investigations based on information
from third parties such as journalists, NGOs, or whistleblowers, and will be able
to guarantee anonymity when necessary. It will also advise on ethics rules before,
during, and in some cases after an individual’s term of office or employment.

Additionally, according to the draft proposal the IEB will collaborate with national
authorities and other EU bodies, raise awareness, provide guidance, and issue recommendations
on ethical matters.

The agreement represents a significant [step](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/grade/)
forward after the [European Parliament](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-parliament/)
initially deemed a previous draft proposal “unsatisfactory” in 2023, citing concerns
over the body’s limited powers and scope.

Lead negotiators Katarina Barley, [European Parliament](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-parliament/)
Vice President, and Daniel Freund, a German Green Party representative, hailed the
agreement as a “great success for the transparency and integrity of the EU institutions.”

While welcoming the development in principle, Transparency International EU (TI 
EU) expressed doubts about the IEB’s effectiveness, arguing that it fails to address
the core integrity problems across EU institutions and lacks effective independent
monitoring, oversight, and sanctioning mechanisms. TI EU warned that without adequate
resources, the ethics body might merely “window dress critical lapses in the EU’s
integrity framework.”

The European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs will now draft a report
on the proposed body, which will be put to a plenary vote in April 2024. If approved,
eight EU representatives and five independent experts must be selected before the
IEB can become operational.

FURTHER READING:

 * [European Parliament resolution of 16 February 2023 on the establishment of an independent EU ethics body](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0055_EN.html)
 * [Blog post of MEP Daniel Freund](https://danielfreund.eu/agreement-on-ethics-body/?lang=en)