MEPs Approve Launch of EU Ethics Oversight Body After Long Delay

The European Parliament has approved the potential establishment of a new ethics oversight body following a closely contested vote.

The decision came through a socialist-drafted amendment included in a key budget report, which passed by a narrow margin of 296 votes to 292 on 29 April 2026.

The amendment mandates the European Parliament to initiate the ethics body without further delay, although its actual creation is set to occur after a two-year postponement.

The vote was conducted under a provision that kept MEPs' names confidential, leading to speculation that some centre-right members may have voted against their party's official stance.

The ethics body is intended to set minimum standards across eight EU institutions, including the European Parliament itself.

However, it will lack investigative powers and the ability to sanction wrongdoing, limiting its scope and effectiveness.

Opposition to the ethics body has been persistent, particularly from the centre-right European People's Party (EPP).

The EPP has previously blocked efforts to integrate the assembly into the oversight framework and has expressed reluctance to fully cooperate with the body, favoring internal probes instead.

Transparency International welcomed the vote, expressing hope that it would finally lead to progress on ethics oversight within EU institutions.

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