The Assembly intends to draw all the necessary consequences, on all levels, from the conclusions of the investigation body on corruption allegations within PACE, “which are now indisputable”. This applies to recommendations aimed at improving its general operating framework and at remedying shortcomings in the transparency of parliamentary procedures as well as the conclusions criticising the conduct of some members or former members of the Assembly who had conflicts of interest and breached the Assembly’s rules of conduct.
In a resolution adopted on the basis of a report by Petra De Sutter (Belgium, SOC), the Assembly recalls that it did not expect the investigative body “to provide proof in the judicial sense of any corrupt wrongdoings it became aware of, let alone of any criminal offences potentially involved” as “this is the task of the competent national authorities”.
PACE invites the national parliaments and their national delegations to the Assembly, as well as the national governments, “to take the necessary measures in respect of the cases mentioned” and report back to the Assembly by the end of 2018.
It also invites the political groups of the Assembly, as well as the political groups within the national parliaments, “to each draw the consequences of any allegations against their members”, recalling the principle of individual political responsibility, “including the possibility for those elected to relinquish their mandates”.
