Labour should take lead on lobbying and transparency register, says former MEP

The former Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer has said Malta’s administration should take the lead and introduce a lobby and transparency register, instead of simply taking to task European Parliament president Roberta Metsola over her apparent conflicts of interest.

Engerer – formerly an aide to former minister Aaron Farrugia who pledged a lobbying register for his environment ministry – said he had convinced the PL to include the pledge in its 2017 manifesto, but was yet unimplemented.

Engerer said that Farrugia’s own bid for a transparency register in 2020 had not been welcomed with open arms, “likely because it set a high standard for accountability and ended up never going online, albeit all meetings were recorded.”

Engerer himself set up his own transparency register as MEP, where members are required as rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs to disclose meetings with lobbyists tied to the legislation they work on. “I went further – my office registered all the meetings I or my staff had during the whole mandate and published them on our website’s ‘Nothing to Hide’ section. Not only do we disclose who we meet and when, but we also publish the minutes for all to see, because hey we have nothing to hide.”

On the other hand, Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba on Wednesday took the EP president and rival to task over a Politico report that revealed a transparency and ethics protocol for MEPs specifically excluded the office of the president.

Metsola’s husband Ukko happens to be a director of Royal Caribbean Cruises and its lobbying arm. Agius Saliba said Metsola was well aware of the delicate nature of her husband’s lobbying role and the gains he reaped from decisions at the EP.

“Advocating for better transparency does not consist of merely implementing appropriate protocols, but demonstrating that such protocols are being implemented consistently by all involved, without exception… Metsola chose to back a plan aimed at strengthening transparency at the European Parliament which conveniently exonerates her from any scrutiny,” Agius Saiba said.

The Labour MEP said Metsola had appeared unbothered about the ethical dilemma posed by her husband’s lobbyist role for the cruise liner industry, having spoken several times about the sector at the Malta Maritime Forum and in a series of meetings with the Chamber of SMEs.

“Quite naturally, one queries the rationale which led Metsola to exonerate herself from scrutiny,” Aigus Saliba said. “She could have certainly made a declaration about her husband’s role to put the matter to rest, irrespective of whether she was bound to do so or not. Preparing and submitting a declaration is neither an extraordinary feat nor time-consuming.”

Agius Saliba also said Metsola had argued that her office was exempt from declaring the gifts she received whilst in office, unlike other MEPs. “Whilst Metsola insists that politicians – especially her adversaries – should observe more stringent rules, she avoids following the same practices wherever possible.”

On his part, Engerer said that if both government and Opposition serious about good governance, they could set an example by starting transparency registers themselves. “Let’s move past hypocrisy and start practicing genuine transparency – I won’t hold my breath though.”