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The overhaul comes after a senior official was accused of taking free Qatar Airways flights
The EU’s prime govt physique is altering its rules for international journeys after a division chief was accused of accepting free flights on Qatar’s nationwide airline. The choice comes after the European Parliament was rocked by a serious corruption scandal in current months.
“The European Fee is within the strategy of tightening the foundations regarding hospitality supplied by an exterior occasion organizer to cowl the mission prices of its employees members,” a spokesperson mentioned on Thursday, as quoted by Politico.
“Accepting such hospitality might be restricted to main worldwide commitments [including] the UN, the G7 and the G20, and to hospitality supplied by member state authorities within the context of official visits throughout the EU.”
Politico reported on Monday that Henrik Hololei, the director basic of the fee’s transport division, flew enterprise class totally free on Qatar Airways 9 instances between 2015 and 2021. Citing paperwork obtained by means of a freedom of knowledge request, the journal mentioned that 4 of the journeys have been paid for by the Qatari authorities or a gaggle with ties to the Gulf state. Six of the flights have been mentioned to have taken place throughout negotiations over a commerce settlement.
The fee had initially informed Politico that Hololei’s flights have been “approved and carried out in accordance with the relevant guidelines.”
In December, Belgian police arrested Eva Kaili, a member of the European Parliament from Greece and one of many physique’s 14 vice-presidents on the time, on fees of accepting bribes from Qatar. Kaili, who denied any wrongdoing, was stripped of the vice-presidency the identical month.
Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former MEP from Italy, was charged in the identical case. He struck a plea deal and admitted to taking bribes from Qatar and Morocco, based on his lawyer, Laurent Kennes.
The fees in opposition to Kaili have been introduced in the midst of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Qatari mission to the EU denied that its authorities have been concerned in corruption, arguing that the allegations have been based mostly on “preconceived prejudices.” Moroccan International Minister Nasser Bourita claimed in January that his nation was the goal of “media assaults” aimed toward damaging its ties to the European bloc.
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