The European Parliament will limit the access of journalists, lobbyists and diplomats to its premises starting next week.
A colored badge, issued to outsiders, will no longer allow them to freely roam buildings in Brussels and Strasbourg.
The new system is based on the Parliament’s calendar, where each week is marked with a color: red for plenary sessions, blue for political group meetings, pink for committee meetings, and white for quiet weeks during summer recess or Christmas break, Euronews reported.
For example, during white weeks, those interested in visiting the Parliament buildings will only be allowed in if they have an invitation signed by an MEP.
In Brussels such invitations will also be needed if an outsider wants to visit a building other than the main Altiero Spinelli and József Antall blocks, regardless of what week it is. In Strasbourg invitations will be required to access premises outside plenary sessions or to enter the area where lawmakers’ offices are located.
“The changes introduced to the rules … are part of a broader reform aligning with Parliament’s commitment to ensure transparency, accountability, and public trust,” the institution told Euronews. The rules will take effect Sept. 1.
Several lobbyists have complained the rules will be counterproductive, and that they will tend to target small NGOs rather than large corporations.
“Who loses the most? Grassroots organizations, NGOs and independent experts, the very voices that already face structural disadvantages compared to well-funded corporate lobbies,” said Isabella Sofia De Gregorio, executive director of EDUXO Italia, a non-profit educational association, in a post on LinkedIn.
The founder of consultancy UNGovern, Jakub Zientala, called the move “another bureaucratic hurdle in Brussels.”
“One more barrier for transparent dialogue between policymakers and stakeholders. Instead of encouraging openness, the Parliament adds layers of bureaucracy that mainly hurt smaller organizations, NGOs, and independent experts — the very voices that struggle most to be heard,” Zientala said.
The rules are the latest response to scandals like Qatargate and Huaweigate, which have rocked the European Parliament in recent years and have called its transparency and the influence of lobbyists on MEPs into question.
In May the Parliament made it mandatory for lobbyists to activate their badges on every visit and to state the purpose of that visit.
The European Parliament did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s request for comment.
