Representatives of Russian companies, many with ties to the Kremlin, are no longer allowed to enter European Parliament premises according to a decision taken by President Roberta Metsola on Thursday.

The decision was made public via Metsola’s Twitter account.

“We must not allow them any space to spread their propaganda and false, toxic narratives about the invasion of Ukraine”, she said.

For German MEP Daniel Freund, responsible for a parliamentary own initiative report calling for the creation of an independent EU ethics body, the ban is “absolutely justified”.

“The ban will affect big Russian state-owned companies with ties to the Kremlin mostly. They have the biggest lobbying power in Brussels. Obviously, the voices of civil society groups, critical journalists or human rights activists from Russia will still be heard in the European Parliament,” the Green MEP told EURACTIV.

The decision will apply to all people working for Russia-based companies, if they are under EU sanctions, or listed in the EU Transparency Register, regardless of their place of residence.

Controls will be done by EU Parliament security staff at the entrance, and “badges of people affected by this decision will be deactivated,” a source from the president’s staff explained.

The EU Transparency Register is a database that lists organisations, associations, groups and self-employed individuals “who carry out activities to influence the EU policy and decision-making process” and aims to create a more transparent environment of lobbying in EU institutions.

Source: Euractiv.com