Viktoras Uspaskichas, European Parliament member (MEP), reported receiving 3 million euros of additional annual income related to the company “Edvervita” LLC. This comprises more than a third of additional income declared by all MEPs (8.7 million euros) – according to a review conducted by Transparency International’s European Union branch.
9 out of 11 Lithuanian representatives in the European Parliament stated that they had at least one outside activity (in total – 31 activities). They disclosed holding positions in political organizations and operating in various companies, communities, associations, and universities. Only one MEP, Viktoras Uspaskichas, shared the income he received from outside activities.
In total, two-thirds (497 out of 705) of all members of the European Parliament disclosed outside activities, one-fifth of which are paid. The largest number of MEPs, who indicated that they are engaged in at least one outside paid or unpaid activity, are from Austria, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, and Belgium.
On average, MEPs from Lithuania (for one MEP), Malta, Greece, Hungary, and Slovakia earn the most from outside activities. The least – from Cyprus, Sweden, and the Netherlands. 12 out of the 20 highest-earning MEPs receive a higher income from outside activities than their MEP salary.
“Currently, every fourth member of the European Parliament receives additional income for activities outside of the Parliament’s reach, which sometimes exceeds their salaries. It is necessary to ensure that our elected representatives act for the benefit of the public, and not for personal interests. I hope that the Lithuanian politicians elected to the European Parliament will actively contribute to discussions and support initiatives working for stricter controls on income from outside activities,” said Ingrida Kalinauskienė, head of the “Transparency International” Lithuania branch.
The review provides information on the activities and income of MEPs outside of their European Parliament duties. It was collected directly from the individual accounts of MEPs on the European Parliament page on April 24th, 2024. Please note that MEPs are responsible for their declarations of private interests and must update them within a month of any changes in circumstances.
All information about MEPs’ income and meetings is published on the regularly updated website EU Integrity Watch.
More information: Ingrida Kalinauskienė, info@transparency.lt, +370 5 212 69 51
For questions about methodology, please contact Transparency International’s EU branch: eupress@transparency.org, +32 2 893 24 58.