Huawei is at the center of a corruption investigation led by Belgian prosecutors, which has resulted in the European Parliament and European Commission taking action against the Chinese technology giant. On Friday, both institutions blacklisted Huawei lobbyists following allegations of bribery linked to the company’s lobbying efforts in Brussels.
“The Parliament decided, as a precautionary measure, to suspend the access to Parliament of representatives attached to the Huawei company with immediate effect,” a Parliament spokesperson stated. The suspension is temporary and will remain in place at least until the investigation concludes, according to a Parliament official speaking to POLITICO.
In a similar move, the European Commission’s departments, including the Commissioners’ cabinets and all directorates-general, have been instructed to “immediately suspend contacts and meetings with Huawei until further notice,” as noted by spokesperson for transparency Olof Gill.
The investigation revolves around “preliminary charges of active corruption, forgery of documents, and money laundering” at the European Parliament, as confirmed by Belgian federal prosecutors on Thursday.
Huawei had nine registered lobbyists in the EU institutions when it last updated its entry in the Transparency Register in October. The ban affects Huawei’s lobbyists’ access to all Parliament premises, including those in Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg, and the various liaison offices across EU member states.
Authorities took significant actions earlier this week, including sealing two offices belonging to parliamentary assistants. Police have conducted raids at 21 locations across Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia, and Portugal, with several arrests made, prosecutors reported.
While Huawei did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the company had previously stated that it “takes these allegations seriously and will urgently communicate with the investigation to further understand the situation.”
