The vast majority of deputies and senators do not declare gifts and still do not publish on the website of their respective cameras the meetings that hold representatives of any entity that has the condition of ‘lobby’ or group of interest, although they should do so by virtue of the Code of conduct of the General Courts in force since October 2020.
This is stated in Report made by the conflict office of interests of the Courts on the fulfillment of these norms during the last year, in which this organ reminds its lordships that, in addition to disseminating the meetings of the parliamentary organs from which they are part, they are obliged to inform of the They have with the ‘lobbies’.
In this document, the Office of Conflict of Interest confirms not only that “they are minority in both cameras “ who publish other types of activities and meetings outside the strictly parliamentary, but also, “in many cases these annotations are carried out occasionally and not regularly. “
Specifically, last year Only 17.85% of the deputies and senators included in their agendas meetings other than organic ones of their respective cameras. Of course, the report details that the deputies fail to comply with this point than the senators, since only 46 members of the Congress (13.14%) reported these appointments, by 64 senators (24.06% of the total).
Presidency gifts
Besides, Parliamentarians must deliver the gifts they receive on trips Chambers officers or when they act on behalf of them whenever they are offered because of such representation and not in a personal capacity and have an estimated value exceeding 150 euros.
These gifts are inventoried and published on the website of the corresponding institution. Last year 24 were delivered in the lower house and 23 in the high. According to the inventory published by the Congress and consulted by Europa Press, in recent years these gifts had as a recipient the presidency of Congress or other members of the table.
Thus, the web indicates that Francina Armengol received in the first quarter of 2024 A dozen institutional giftsfundamentally plates, sheets and books, which have been referred to the Department of Historical Heritage and the Library of Congress.
Economic interests
On the other hand, the Office of Conflict of Interest congratulates that, unlike what happened in previous years, now they are already fulfilled “To a very good extent” the recommendations that it had been making about the statements of economic interests. That is why it is limited to reminding their lordships that they must update them when in the course of the legislature they make new contributions to foundations and other associations.
Specifically, at the end of 2024 only five of the 350 deputies had not delivered their declaration of economic interests, although only 0.29% had updated it with respect to that presented at the beginning of the legislature. In the Senate, its 266 members had presented it and a 0.37% had updated it.
In this case, also the senators are more applied than deputies, They record higher percentages of responses in all sections of those interest statements.
For example, while 96.61% of senators have responded to donationsunpaid gifts and benefits obtained in the five years before their arrival at the Chamber, the deputies have done so in 90.14%. And the Senate members are also more ‘transparent’ as they fill in 90.97% the ‘other interest to declare’ for 40.87% of the deputies.
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