BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - More than one in four MEPs has additional income. The six MEPs with the highest side incomes earn more than from their parliamentary work, according to a report published on Monday by the anti-corruption organization Transparency International (TI). According to the report, 16 of the 20 MPs with the highest additional income are politically right-wing or tend to be right of center. According to the data, all members of parliament together earn more than 8.7 million euros per year from secondary employment.

According to parliamentary figures, the 705 representatives receive around 120,000 euros per year for their job as MPs or deputies, excluding allowances and before tax. They must disclose any additional income above a certain limit.

The income of MEPs has been under particular scrutiny since investigations were launched in December 2022 against the now deposed Vice-President of the European Parliament Eva Kaili and other suspects for involvement in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption. According to media reports, bags full of cash were discovered on Kaili's person in the scandal that became known as Qatar-Gate, which involved alleged influence peddling by the governments of Qatar and Morocco.

"How many more influence-peddling scandals will it take before MEPs realize that these lucrative side jobs are endangering European democracy?" criticized Raphaël Kergueno from Transparency International on Monday and called for a ban on side jobs.

In its report, the organization highlights the risks associated with conflicts of interest. According to TI, some MEPs receive remuneration from companies in the same sector on which they focus their parliamentary activities.

German MEPs under criticism

German MEP Markus Ferber (CSU), for example, is said to have advised banks while working on a new directive on financial markets. Ferber himself told the German Press Agency on request that the statement was "not true" and that there was no conflict of interest. Ferber had stated that he received more than 5000 euros per month from secondary employment. In addition, between 80 and 2000 euros per meeting attended by various committees such as the Advisory Board for Fundamental Issues of Savings Bank Policy.

Transparency International also refers to MEP Axel Voss (CDU), "who wrote an opinion on the EU law on artificial intelligence while at the same time sitting on the data protection advisory board of the German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom". When asked by dpa, Voss stated that this is an independent body that meets almost four times a year and advises on the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation. The politician had stated that he received between 1,501 and 6,000 euros per month from sideline activities and did not disclose the exact amount, citing confidentiality clauses./agy/DP/nas