Belgium requests the waiver of two MEPs' immunity

Enlarge image

MEP Marc Tarabella

Photo: VALERIA MONGELLI / AFP

In the context of the corruption scandal in the European Parliament, the Belgian authorities have requested that the immunity of two MEPs be lifted.

As Parliament announced on Monday, President Roberta Metsola has initiated the relevant urgent procedure.

Parliament did not say which MPs were affected.

According to information from the dpa news agency, the two social democrats are Marc Tarabella from Belgium and Andrea Cozzolino from Italy.

The Belgian newspaper "Le Soir" and the Italian "Repubblica" also reported on it.

Both Tarabella and Cozzolino have been the subject of many media reports linked to the foreign interference scandal in parliamentary decisions.

Application not publicly known until mid-January

Metsola will make the request of the Belgian judicial authorities public on January 16 in the plenary session of Parliament.

Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee then has to deal with it and make a recommendation, which the plenary then decides on by a simple majority.

Metsola asked for the process to be prioritized and completed by February 13, the statement said.

"From the very beginning, the European Parliament has done everything in its power to support the investigation and we will continue to ensure that there will be no impunity," said the Maltese woman.

col/dpa