V. Uspaskich, involved in the corruption scandal, is the member of the European Parliament who receives the most additional income

9 out of 11 Lithuanian representatives in the European Parliament stated that they have at least one additional activity (31 activities in total). They announced that they hold positions in political organizations, operating in various companies, communities, associations, universities. Only one MEP, Viktoras Uspaskich, indicated receiving income for additional activities, according to the press release of the Lithuanian branch of “Transperancy International”.

In total, two-thirds (497 out of 705) of all members of the European Parliament declared additional activities, one-fifth of which are paid. The largest number of MEPs who indicated that they are engaged in at least one additional 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 additional activities. The least – Cyprus, Sweden and the Netherlands. 12 of the 20 highest earning MEPs receive more income from additional activities than from the salary of an MEP.

“Currently, every fourth member of the European Parliament receives additional income for activities outside the Parliament, which sometimes exceed 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 Lithuanian politicians elected to the European Parliament will actively contribute to the discussions and support initiatives aimed at stricter control of income from additional activities”, said Ingrida Kalinauskienė, head of Transparency International’s Lithuanian branch.

The review provides information on the additional activities and income of MEPs outside of their MEP duties. It was collected directly from the individual accounts of MEPs on the European Parliament page in 2024. April 24 Please note that MEPs are responsible for the content of their declarations of private interests and must update them within a month of any change in circumstances.