Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament decided to waive the parliamentary immunity of Marc TARABELLA (NA, BE).

As a reminder, the Federal Prosecutor at the Belgian Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the waiver of the immunity of Marc Tarabella, a Member of the European Parliament elected for Belgium, in connection with an ongoing investigation into criminal offences.

The ongoing investigation showed that Marc Tarabella may have been involved in acts of corruption connected with interference by one or more foreign states aimed at influencing the debates and decisions taken in the European Parliament.

Moreover, it has emerged from the ongoing investigation that Marc Tarabella is suspected of having, over the past two years, supported certain positions within the European Parliament in favour of a third country in return for cash payments. Testimony against him suggests that such payments were made to him on several occasions, amounting to a total of between EUR 120 000 and EUR 140 000.

The acts allegedly committed by Marc Tarabella constitute the criminal offences of public corruption under Articles 246 and 247 of the Belgian Criminal Code, of participation in a criminal organisation under Articles 324a and 324b of the Belgian Criminal Code, and of money laundering under Article 505 of the Belgian Criminal Code.

The alleged offences do not constitute opinions expressed or votes cast by Marc Tarabella in the performance of his duties as a Member of the European Parliament within the meaning of Article 8 of Protocol No 7 on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union.

In this case, Parliament has found no evidence of fumus persecutionis , i.e. factual elements which indicate that the intention underlying the legal proceeding may be to damage a Member’s political activity and thus the European Parliament.

Marc Tarabella stated that he has no objection to the waiver of his parliamentary immunity.

Therefore, following the recommendation of its Legal Affairs Committee, Parliament considered that Marc Tarabella’s immunity should be waived.

T9-0024/2023

A9-0017/2023

A9-0017/2023