BRUSSELS, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that her institution is pushing for the creation of a European Union-wide (EU) ethics body after allegations that a vice president of the European Parliament (EP) was involved in a bribery scandal.

"The confidence entrusted to our institutions needs higher standards of independence and integrity," she said at a press conference. "It would be important to have an ethics body."

In March, the Commission president sent a letter to all EU institutions proposing the creation of such a body.

"What's important to me is that we have clear rules and clear standards across all European institutions to ensure that we all have the same control mechanisms; and that we set these high standards of independence and integrity together," she explained.

Vera Jourova, European Commission vice president for values and transparency, has already launched discussions with the European Parliament and the European Council on the creation of an EU-wide ethics body.

EP Vice President Eva Kaili was arrested on Friday in Brussels along with three other people, according to the local press, on allegations of corruption by a Gulf state. Enditem

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