By Martin Banks - 23rd March 2011
This is a question of principles
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
Parliament's all-powerful bureau is to discuss the fall-out from the "cash for laws" scandal.
The meeting on Wednesday in the European parliament, comprising the assembly's president Jerzy Buzek and the institution's vice presidents, comes after Adrian Severin, one of the three deputies at the centre of the furore, was expelled from the S&D group late on Tuesday.
The Romanian MEP is now coming under growing pressure to quit parliament altogether.
Martin Schulz, leader of the S&D group, recommended to Severin that he quit parliament but Severin refused and will continue to as an MEP as an independent.
The Sunday Times newspaper revealed that Severin and two other MEPs were willing to push through legal amendments on behalf of a firm of "lobbyists", Taylor Jones Public Affaris, a fake firm set up by the UK newspaper.
In his defence, Severin said on Tuesday that he had offered to work as a consultant only because of a desire to share his knowledge.
"I never asked for money for tabling amendments,” he said, calling the incriminating newspaper video a "fake" because it combined several conversations and presented them in what he called a misleading way."
The other two MEPs, Ernst Strasser, a former Austrian interior minister, and former Slovenian foreign minister Zoran Thaler, stepped down earlier this week after revelations by the newspaper that they accepted money for successfully submitting legislative changes to EU banking regulations.
A parliament spokesman refused to be drawn on any possible action, saying, "The investigation goes on."
Reaction to Severin's expulsion from the S&D group was welcomed by the pan-European Party of European Socialists (PES).
It also welcomed the decision by the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSD) to exclude Severin from party activities and also called on Severin to resign as an MEP.
The PES said it welcomed the "swift decision" by PSD to expel Severin from "all political positions within the party".
PES president, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, himself a former MEP, said, “This is a question of principles. MEP’s are there to ensure the best legislation for the people of Europe.
"To do this they must be seen as beyond financial temptation. Ideally, this should be guaranteed by individual probity, but if rules are needed, so be it. I guarantee that PES will lead the way to ensuring that this situation cannot be repeated."
Further comment came from PES general secretary, Philip Cordery, who said, "The actions and motivation of Severin are unacceptable to PES.
"His swift exclusion sends a clear message that this conduct will not be tolerated. He should resign from parliament immediately."
