The Bruges-based College of Europe is setting up private meetings with
the EU institutions for seven ambassadors plus seven high-level
officials from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Bruges-based institute counts politicians, former prime ministers, and top-ranking EU officials as alumni and boasts of its wide network as an appeal to future students.
A leaked email to an MEP from the institute, seen by EUobserver, says they "are organising a visit to the European institutions for seven Saudi ambassadors and seven high-level officials from the Saudi government".
The visit is set for 18 to 22 February and will include meeting College of Europe graduates who now work at the EU institutions.
The College of Europe says some of the MEPs that they reached out to have accepted their offer, thus allowing the Saudi ambassadors to Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania to enter the European Parliament on 19 February.
Although EU lobby transparency rules says academic institutions should register if they "deal with EU activities and policies and are in touch with the EU institutions", the College of Europe is not listed in the EU joint-transparency register.
Exceptions may apply if such visits by educational institutes are for a purely academic exercise. But the leaked email makes no mention that the visit is academic.
Instead, it says the proposed meetings would enable the Saudis and the MEPs "to discuss current issues in the relations between the EU and the Saudi government."
Green MEPs have now demanded accountability.
Note EU-Digest: Saudi government officials should not be welcome based on the murder they orchestrated on Jamal Khashoggi and their human rights record.
Read more: Saudis paying College of Europe to lobby MEPs
The Bruges-based institute counts politicians, former prime ministers, and top-ranking EU officials as alumni and boasts of its wide network as an appeal to future students.
A leaked email to an MEP from the institute, seen by EUobserver, says they "are organising a visit to the European institutions for seven Saudi ambassadors and seven high-level officials from the Saudi government".
The visit is set for 18 to 22 February and will include meeting College of Europe graduates who now work at the EU institutions.
The College of Europe says some of the MEPs that they reached out to have accepted their offer, thus allowing the Saudi ambassadors to Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania to enter the European Parliament on 19 February.
Although EU lobby transparency rules says academic institutions should register if they "deal with EU activities and policies and are in touch with the EU institutions", the College of Europe is not listed in the EU joint-transparency register.
Exceptions may apply if such visits by educational institutes are for a purely academic exercise. But the leaked email makes no mention that the visit is academic.
Instead, it says the proposed meetings would enable the Saudis and the MEPs "to discuss current issues in the relations between the EU and the Saudi government."
Green MEPs have now demanded accountability.
Note EU-Digest: Saudi government officials should not be welcome based on the murder they orchestrated on Jamal Khashoggi and their human rights record.
Read more: Saudis paying College of Europe to lobby MEPs
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