The misuse of EU funds intended to pay assistants to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) has been widespread in recent years, but only a few cases end up in court.

French far-right politician Marine Le Pen and eight other former MEPs from her party were found guilty of embezzling EU funds. However, they were not alone, as misuse of money intended for MEP’s assistants is common in the Parliament according to multiple sources familiar with its internal workings.

Each MEP is entitled to a monthly sum for paying their assistants, which currently amounts to €30,769. At least 40% of this allowance is for accredited assistants (APAs), while the remaining 60% can be used for “local assistants” employed either directly by the MEP or via a service provider and working from the MEP’s constituency.

The rules stipulate that expenses related to APAs’ and local assistants’ work can only be defrayed for “assistance which is necessary and directly linked to the exercise of a Member’s parliamentary mandate.” However, these boundaries are not always clear, leading to instances where local assistants perform duties not strictly related to the MEP’s activity in the Parliament, including political activity in their constituency.

The Parliament has been involved in civil proceedings against MEPs nine times in the last ten years in cases related to fraud against the EU financial interest. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) may also investigate cases of misuse of funds based on tips-off, which can come from anyone, including other MEPs. If OLAF finds sufficient grounds, it can refer the case to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which can investigate ex officio or involve a national prosecutor.

The EPPO has seized assets in cases of fraud and has been active in investigating MEPs for misuse of parliamentary allowances. However, the exact extent of such malpractice is difficult to gauge due to a lack of transparency from the Parliament.

Transparency International EU’s director, Nicholas Aiossa, points out that sometimes such cases are discovered through investigative journalism or whistleblowers. The Follow The Money report from 2023 stated that 139 EU lawmakers misused money for assistants and that the Parliament has recovered funds on 155 occasions between 2019 and 2022. According to the European Parliament’s press service, most recoveries are technical and not related to wrongdoing.

Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/04/02/le-pen-not-alone-how-financial-misconduct-affects-european-parliament