POLITICO / USA
Move comes amid debate over EU’s sixth package of sanctions.
The European Parliament is banning entry to lobbyists representing Russian interests as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine drags on.
Russian company representatives may not enter Parliament buildings “effective immediately,” President Roberta Metsola tweeted Thursday. “We must not allow them any space to spread their propaganda & false, toxic narratives about the invasion of #Ukraine.”
Metsola announced the move at a meeting of the Conference of Presidents on Thursday morning, according to her spokesman, Jüri Laas. It comes as diplomats debate including a ban on providing consulting and accounting services to Russia in the EU’s sixth package of sanctions.
The ban “applies to all entities that are established in the Russian Federation and that are listed in the EU transparency register,” Laas said in an e-mail, as well as entities subject to EU sanctions. Metsola also “instructed Parliament’s services to look into other Russian companies whose representatives might spread false information about the war in Ukraine or try to circumvent the sanctions imposed at European level,” he added.
The Parliament has also called on the European Commission and Council to block Russia-linked lobbyists. The Greens/EFA Group launched a petition calling for such a ban in the Parliament earlier this week — it’s since been updated to call on Council President Charles Michel to give his support.
“These lobbyists still have access to other EU buildings via the EU lobby register,” the updated Greens/EFA petition states. “We call on Charles Michel as Council president to make sure they are banned from all EU premises.”
Watchdogs warned that the focus on Russia-based companies could limit the reach of the ban.
“This is a welcome first step,” said Nicholas Aiossa, deputy director and head of policy advocacy at Transparency International EU, which has been calling for Russian lobbying restrictions since March. “But the institutions need to fully ensure Russian influence in Brussels stops now, including by EU-based law firms, consultancies and associations.”