The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled Wednesday that the parliamentary assistants of former Socialists and Democrats MEP Mónica Silvana González have the right to access reports containing the conclusions of an investigation into her behavior.
The judgements set a precedent for future victims of harassment and open a window into the opaque discipline enforced on members of the European Parliament, who have previously been accused of enjoying a culture of impunity and secrecy within the legislature.
The complainants told POLITICO they would request that the Parliament release the report on Thursday afternoon.
“The European Parliament should follow the CJEU ruling and give access to the report swiftly. Once again, the Parliament has not covered itself in glory,” The Left co-chair Martin Schirdewan, who sits on a committee that handles investigations of fellow MEPs, told POLITICO.
After the advisory committee dealing with harassment complaints concerning members concluded that MEP Mónica Silvana González had wronged her parliamentary assistants, Parliament President Roberta Metsola imposed sanctions on her in January 2023.
The complainants had sought to use the committee’s report as evidence in a separate trial before a Belgian court in which they demanded compensation from the lawmaker, but the Parliament refused to release any documentation.
The CJEU has now ruled that “in the absence of a legitimate interest in confidentiality, the Parliament should have forwarded the Committee’s report to the applicants.”
“It has been held that the transmission of a copy of the reports drawn up at the end of the administrative investigation, if necessary in a non-confidential version, is necessary in light of the principle of sound administration … which impl[ies] that the competent authority must inform the interested parties of the outcome of their request for assistance, all the more so where, as in the present case, the report acknowledges the existence of psychological harassment,” the CJEU’s ruling reads.
The complainants told POLITICO that the Parliament has put many obstacles in their path, costing them time and money. They said they have asked parliamentary officials for greater cooperation to ensure that possible crimes are prosecuted and that compensation is provided for any damage suffered.
The Parliament’s press service said it “took note of the ruling and is looking into it.”
“It’s incredible the Parliament refused to hand over the Harassment Committee’s report to the victims, especially as it was needed in legal proceedings against the MEP. The Parliament should abide by this Court ruling and immediately transmit the report,” added Nick Aiossa, director of Transparency International EU.
The post Court says European Parliament must release confidential harassment reports appeared first on Politico.
