Sources & References

At Brussels Watch, our commitment to transparency and accountability is mirrored in our dedication to sourcing and referencing credible information. The following resources have been instrumental in informing our investigations and reports:

Official EU Resources

• European Parliament Transparency Register: A database detailing registered lobbyists, their clients, and meetings with EU officials.
  
  • https://www.europarl.europa.eu/at-your-service/en/be-heard/transparency-register
    
• European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF): Investigates fraud against the EU budget, corruption, and serious misconduct within European institutions.
  
  • https://ec.europa.eu/anti-fraud/home_en
    
• European Parliament Press Releases on Anti-Corruption Measures: Official communications regarding legislative actions and reforms.
  
  • https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240129IPR17213/anti-corruption-meps-to-push-for-stricter-eu-wide-measures-and-penalties
    

Investigative Journalism and Reports

• Transparency International EU: Provides in-depth analyses on EU lobbying and corruption.
  
  • New European Parliament corruption allegations
    
  • Lobbying Watch
    
• POLITICO Europe: Covers EU politics, including corruption scandals.
  
  • Huawei bribery scandal rocks European Parliament
    
  • European Parliament cracks down on lobbyists in effort to stop corruption
    
• Atlantic Council: Offers expert analyses on EU governance and transparency.
  
  • The European Parliament is still learning its lesson from corruption scandals
    
• Daniel Freund, MEP: Highlights issues related to MEPs’ side jobs and potential conflicts of interest.
  
  • Study: Many suspected cases of prohibited lobby side jobs among European parliamentarians(transparency.eu)

Notable Scandals and Cases

• Qatargate Scandal: An ongoing investigation into alleged bribery and corruption involving MEPs and foreign governments.
  
  • Wikipedia: Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament
    
• Huawei Bribery Allegations: Investigations into alleged bribery by Huawei to influence EU policy.
  
  • Euronews: Belgian authorities request lifting of MEP immunity to investigate Huawei bribery allegations
    
  • AP News: Belgian prosecutors arrest suspects in Huawei bribery probe targeting EU Parliament
    
  • Financial Times: Huawei lobbyists detained in EU corruption scandal(reuters.com)
• Marine Le Pen and Rassemblement National Trial: Legal proceedings concerning misuse of EU funds.
  
  • Le Monde: Why Le Pen and 26 other far-right party members are standing trial in Paris in fake EU Parliament jobs case
    
  • AP News: The EU Parliament has transparency problems. Marine Le Pen’s case is a window into what’s wrong
    

Academic and Analytical Studies

• Studying Lobby Influence in the European Parliament: A research paper employing natural language processing to analyze lobbying influence.
  
  • arXiv: Studying Lobby Influence in the European Parliament(arxiv.org)
• The Good Lobby: Explores the rules and ethics surrounding lobbying in the EU.
  
  • What are the lobbying rules for MEPs?(euronews.com)

Additional Resources

• The Left in the European Parliament: Advocates for stronger ethics and transparency measures.
  
  • Corruption in the European Parliament – Again!
    
  • PDF: How to Fight Corruption in the European Parliament
    
• Whistlelink: Discusses the importance of whistleblower protections in the EU.
  
  • Huawei corruption scandal in the EU Parliament(whistlelink.com)

This curated list of sources and references serves as the foundation for our investigative work at Brussels Watch. We encourage readers, researchers, and policymakers to consult these materials to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing transparency and integrity within the European Union.

Note: The links provided are for informational purposes and reflect the state of investigations and reports as of their respective publication dates.