09/04/2025 Session | Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs | Transparency and Integrity
PACE has called for more action to develop “an ethical culture” within the Council of Europe – and has reinforced its own rules on ethics and anti-corruption.
Adopting a resolution based on a report by Frank Schwabe (Germany, SOC), the Assembly recalled the corruption scandal linked to Azerbaijan which affected it, and the subsequent inquiry it set up in April 2017 into the conduct of some of its members and former members.
Changes were made at the time to ensure “zero tolerance for corruption”, but more needs to be done in the Assembly “to ensure its standards are exemplary”, the parliamentarians said.
Rule-changes include a more robust process for members to declare interests – including stronger sanctions for a failure to do so and improved checks on declarations – as well as closer scrutiny of members holding posts of responsibility within the Assembly.
Any future ethics investigation may also call on a new panel, the Conduct Investigation Panel of the Parliamentary Assembly, which would be composed of seven former judges of the European Court of Human Rights.
There should also be a clear ban on any member acting as “a paid advocate or consultant” on Assembly-related work and a new code of conduct for lobbyists at PACE.
To promote strong integrity standards within democratic institutions, the Assembly has also established a new General Rapporteur on Ethical Standards and Anti-Corruption, and the Assembly’s Rules Committee has been renamed the “Committee on Rules, Ethics and Immunities”.