General expenditure allowance - voluntarily returned unspent funds
Dear Madam, Sir,
Members of the European Parliament receive a monthly General Expenditure Allowance.
The ad-hoc Working Group for defining and publishing the rules concerning the use of the general expenditure allowance has recommended that Members should be required "to return the unspent share of the general expenditure allowance at the end of their mandate".
To date however, only a voluntary return of unspent GEA funds is possible.
The rules and transparency requirements surrounding this allowance is a subject of debate among MEPs and the general public. It is therefore in the public interest to see exactly how MEPs are informed about the possibility to return any unspent GEA funds, and how much has been returned so far.
Under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, I am therefore requesting the following documents:
1) The guide on good practices on bookkeeping and auditing of the General Expenditure Allowance, as distributed to Members of the European Parliament
2) The European Parliament's intranet page with the FAQs on Members' end of term
3) The Quaestors' Notice to Members of the European Parliament about the possibility of returning unspent funds from the General Expenditure Allowance
4) The European Parliament's bank account records showing unspent funds from the General Expenditure Allowance returned by (current, outgoing and/or former) MEPs.
I acknowledge that the information requested under point 4 would include personal data, namely the names of Members of the European Parliament. If the Parliament concludes that there is no public interest in publishing this personal data, I would request that the Parliament publishes the document with the names of the MEPs redacted. However, it would be in the public interest to know how many individual MEPs have used the possibility to return unused funds. Since there is the possibility that an individual MEP does multiple payments, I would appreciate it if any redacted names can be given a unique identifier, like a number.
Please note I prefer to receive the documents in digital format, not by physical mail.
Sincerely,
Peter Teffer
Follow the Money
Overtoom 197
1054 HT Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Our reference: 2024-0567
Dear Mr. Teffer,
The European Parliament hereby acknowledges receipt of your message, which
was registered on June 12, 2024.
All applications for public access to documents are treated in compliance
with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of 30 May 2001 regarding public access
to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.
In accordance with the above-mentioned Regulation, your application will
be handled within 15 working days upon registration of your request.
Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU)
2018/1725 of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with
regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions,
bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. A
detailed privacy statement is available [1]here.
The European Parliament reserves the right to ask for additional
information regarding your identity in order to verify compliance with
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and the European Parliament’s implementing
measures.
Your attention is drawn to the fact that you have lodged your application
via the AsktheEU.org website, which is a private website not officially
related to the European Parliament. Therefore, the European Parliament
cannot be held accountable for any technical issues or problems linked to
the use of this system.
In addition, please note that any personal data that you provide by using
AsktheEU.org website may be disclosed to the general public and visible on
this private website. The European Parliament cannot be held responsible
for such disclosure. Should you need to communicate directly to Parliament
any personal data and would like to avoid public disclosure, you may do so
from your private email address by using the following functional mailbox
address: AccesDocs(at)europarl.europa.eu
Best regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[2][European Parliament request email]
[3]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreW...
2. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
3. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
Our reference: 2024-0567
Dear Mr Teffer,
Further to your application submitted under [1]Regulation (EC) No
1049/2001 requesting access to documents related to the voluntary return
of the unused share of the general expenditure allowance (GEA), Parliament
published the following documents in the [2]Public Register under the
register reference: [3]EP-PE_DV(2024)0567
· a guide for Members of the European Parliament – Good practices on
bookkeeping and auditing of the General Expenditure Allowance via the
following direct link [4]here;
· the Parliament's FAQ on Members' end of term via the following
direct link [5]here, and
· the Quaestors' Notice 05/2024 on the end of mandate: Financial and
social entitlements of outgoing Members and their rights and obligations
as former Members and their rights and obligations as former Members
(PE752.155/QUEST/CM) (please see point 30 on page 7 for the voluntary
return of the unused GEA) via the following direct link [6]here.
Parliament notes that no Quaestors' Notice specifically dedicated to the
voluntary return of the unused share of the GEA exists.
As to the part of your application requesting access to the Parliament's
bank account records showing the return payments for the unused share of
the GEA, please be kindly informed that it is not possible for the
Parliament to obtain the requested information by way of a simple
extraction from its own databases, since, in practice, return payments for
the different titles of the GEA are typically made combined. In addition,
Parliament notes that, under [7]Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, it is unable
to create a new document, including the kind of document specified in your
application either.
Parliament also draws your attention to the fact that Members bear sole
responsibility both for the way in which sums paid as GEA are used and for
whether the unused share of the GEA amount received is returned.
On this basis Parliament considers your request handled and the file
closed.
Please do not hesitate to [8]submit a new request should you identify
specific Parliament documents for which you would like to request public
access.
Kind regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[9][European Parliament request email]
[10]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/P...
2. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreW...
3. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreW...
4. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/p...
5. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/p...
6. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/p...
7. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/P...
8. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreW...
9. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
10. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
Dear Madam, Sir,
Please pass this on to the person who reviews confirmatory applications.
On June 12, 2024, Parliament registered my request for access to documents, with reference number 2024-0567. On 25 June, I received a reply.
Under the right that Regulation 1049/2001 gives me, I am filing a confirmatory application with regards to this access to documents request.
Specifically, I would like a review of the decision that (1) the Parliament's bank account records showing the return payments for the unused share of the GEA cannot be provided; and the decision that (2) the requested Quaestors' Notice does not exist.
1. I refer to one of the documents which has been released, the FAQ on Member's end of term. This document says that the European Parliament has a bank account at ING Belgique. The FAQ also says: "When making the transfer, Members are requested to include the following message in the communication field: 'Reimbursement unused GEA + year + Member's Name'." The website of ING Belgique says that account holders can "search for transactions in the search bar in Home’Bank, Business'Bank and the ING Banking app".
It should therefore be relatively straightforward and simple to obtain the requested information via a search in the online bank account environment. One simply needs to search for "Reimbursement unused GEA" and you would be able to download those.
2. As for the comment that "Parliament notes that no Quaestors' Notice specifically dedicated to the voluntary return of the unused share of the GEA exists", in May 2023, a European Parliament spokeswoman informed me: "As regards the awareness raising campaign to MEPs, some actions have been put in place to inform all Members – not only those who are not running again for June elections. They include a guide on good practices on bookkeeping and auditing of the GEA in which the return of unused amounts is clearly explained. The information is also clearly displayed on EP intranet's dedicated pages such as in FAQs on Members' end of term and in the Questors´ Notice providing all necessary information to Members on the topic."
So according to her, such a Quaestors' Notice does exist.
Looking forward to your review.
sincerely
Peter Teffer
Our reference: 2024-0567
Dear Mr Teffer,
We would like to clarify, in light of your follow-up to our response and
after further verification, that, in our response, we provided all the
documents that the Spokesperson's Service was referring to in their
exchange with you. As such, the only relevant Quaestors' Notice (05/2024),
which was shared with you, contains specific information on the voluntary
return of the unused GEA under its point 30 on page 7, given that there is
no other, more specific Quaestors' Notice dedicated in its entirety to the
voluntary return of the unused GEA.
As far as bank account records are concerned, we would, first, like to
clarify that the guides provided to you contain recommendations and that
the corresponding practice may diverge. We would also like to highlight
that we are only able to provide information insofar as it is contained in
a pre-existing document and are unable to create new documents for the
sole purpose of their disclosure.
Second, and specifically with regard to information on the voluntary
return of the unused GEA, since transfers to the relevant account are made
for different purposes and are often made without standardised indications
as to their purpose, Parliament cannot, by a simple operation, extract the
relevant data.
We hope that this clarifies our response. Please do not hesitate to come
back to us in case you require further clarification.
Kind regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[1][European Parliament request email]
[2]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
2. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
Dear Madam, Sir,
I appreciate your informal follow-up message with additional information regarding my request with reference: 2024-0567.
Nevertheless, article 7 and 8 of Regulation 1049/2001 clearly give EU citizens a right to a formal review in the form of a confirmatory application.
In line with article 7, I requested one "within 15 working days of receiving the institution's reply". Such an application "shall be handled promptly" and in principle handled within 15 working days. I therefore still expect such a confirmatory application to be handled.
All the best,
Peter
Our reference: 2024-0567
Dear Mr. Teffer,
The European Parliament hereby acknowledges receipt of your confirmatory
application, which was registered on July 04, 2024.
All applications for public access to documents are treated in compliance
with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of 30 May 2001 regarding public access
to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.
In accordance with the above-mentioned Regulation, your application will
be handled within 15 working days upon registration of your request.
Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU)
2018/1725 of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with
regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions,
bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. A
detailed privacy statement is available [1]here.
The European Parliament reserves the right to ask for additional
information regarding your identity in order to verify compliance with
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and the European Parliament’s implementing
measures.
Your attention is drawn to the fact that you have lodged your application
via the AsktheEU.org website, which is a private website not officially
related to the European Parliament. Therefore, the European Parliament
cannot be held accountable for any technical issues or problems linked to
the use of this system.
In addition, please note that any personal data that you provide by using
AsktheEU.org website may be disclosed to the general public and visible on
this private website. The European Parliament cannot be held responsible
for such disclosure. Should you need to communicate directly to Parliament
any personal data and would like to avoid public disclosure, you may do so
from your private email address by using the following functional mailbox
address: AccesDocs(at)europarl.europa.eu
Best regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[2][European Parliament request email]
[3]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreW...
2. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
3. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
Our reference: 2024-0567C
Dear Mr. Teffer,
The time limit for responding to your confirmatory application for public
access to documents under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 expires on July 25,
2024.
However, our consultations are taking more time than expected, so that
Parliament must exceptionally extend the time limit provided by Article
8(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 by a further 15 working days in
accordance with Article 8(2) of that Regulation in order to reply to your
application.
That being said, a decision is being prepared and will be sent to you as
soon as possible. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience. We
thank you for your understanding.
Best regards,
TRANSPARENCY UNIT
European Parliament
Directorate-General for the Presidency
Directorate-General for Interinstitutional Affairs and Legislative
Coordination
[1][European Parliament request email]
[2]www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[European Parliament request email]
2. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegistreWeb