Attempts to interfere in the decision-making of the EU Parliament from external sources have long been present. However, what's new is that it's not only industrial associations or other organised interests, but also autocratically led governments from around the world, that are attempting to influence Europe's co-legislators through unfair means.

Still fresh in memory is how two years ago, Qatargate shook the EU Parliament. The emirate sought to buy more favourable treatment from the European Union by bribing Members of the European Parliament. In connection with Qatargate, investigations were also conducted into attempted interventions by Mauritania and Morocco. Legal disputes following the scandal are still ongoing. Some of the accused have confessed, while others still feel unjustly stigmatised.

Efforts by Russia to exert influence have also occupied investigators and authorities. The AfD member of the Bundestag, Petr Bystron, is accused of having accepted money from the pro-Russian propaganda network Voice of Europe. Bystron denies these allegations. Although a member of the Bundestag, he also has close ties to the EU Parliament, as he is running for the AfD in the secure second place on the party list in the European elections.

Last month, the debate about unauthorised interference from foreign states finally reached China. Jian Guo, who was accredited as an assistant to AfD politician Maximilian Krah in the EU Parliament, was arrested by German authorities. The assistant is accused of conducting espionage activities for the People's Republic. In April, the Dresden Public Prosecutor's Office also initiated preliminary investigations against Krah, which concern possible foreign payments.

A visible move that the EU Parliament has taken in response primarily to Qatargate, and which has gained importance in connection with the revelations of recent weeks, is the establishment of a Body for Ethical Standards. Representatives of the participating institutions (EU Parliament, EU Commission, ECB, EU Court of Auditors, and EU Economic and Social Committee) are to decide on common minimum standards in the coming months, to which all participating bodies must adhere – such as sideline activities, subsequent jobs, or meetings with lobbyists.

However, the ethical standards body is controversial. Neither the Council of Ministers nor European Council (heads of state or government) want to submit to the guidelines. And the conservatives, the largest faction in the EU Parliament, have rejected its setting up. They argue that the committee would make decisions based on "ambiguous moral rules“ instead of setting clear standards.

The EU Parliament was much more united during its last plenary session of the current term, held at the end of April. A resolution adopted there with a broad majority proposes concrete steps to strengthen Parliament's defences – such as thorough internal investigations to assess any attempted interference, or mandatory security training for all members and their assistants. In any case, all staff should be subject to increased scrutiny.

In the resolution, MEPs urge the Council, representing the national governments, to include media supported by the Russian government and their leadership, which is responsible for propaganda and disinformation campaigns, in the next sanctions package against Russia. It is regretted that the propaganda broadcaster Voice of Europe was able to resume its activities from Kazakhstan. They urged member states to ensure that the broadcaster is not accessible in the EU. During a recent daily press briefing, a journalist recently drew attention to the fact that member states are struggling with implementation. Ironically, in the Berlaymont, the heart of the EU Commission, access to the broadcaster is possible because Belgium has not yet blocked it.