Revealed: MEPs’ millions in outside earnings

Transparency International has called for stricter controls on EU lawmakers, as a report shows many hold lucrative positions with firms that also lobby Brussels.

MEPs collectively earn more than €8.6 million a year from outside jobs – including from private companies that also actively lobby on EU policy, according to a report published by Transparency International EU today (6 May).

The group has called for EU lawmakers to be banned from moonlighting, as figures show over two thirds of the 705 deputies disclose activities in addition to their core role.

In some cases, they earn more from outside activities than they do from their MEP salary of €10,000 a month, and sit on boards of corporations intimately connected with their day jobs, the study found.

The EU last year tightened its rules in the wake of Qatargate, a scandal over alleged foreign influence on the legislative process – and the reform means lawmakers now publish more fine-grained details of outside earnings.

But for Transparency International EU, the new rules still don’t go far enough to avoid conflicts of interest.