Osint Methodologies

Rules

1. Authoritative Sources First: Always prioritize EP Open Data Portal (data.europarl.europa.eu) via the MCP Server as the primary source — supplement with EUR-Lex, Council Register, and Commission databases
2. Source Evaluation (CRAAP): Assess each source for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose — EP official records score highest; media reporting requires corroboration
3. Structured Collection Plan: Define collection requirements before querying — specify target MEPs, time periods, policy areas, and political groups to avoid data overload
4. Multi-Source Triangulation: Verify findings across at least two independent sources — cross-reference MCP Server data with EP official website, VoteWatch Europe, and national parliament records
5. Data Provenance Tracking: Record the source, retrieval date, and API endpoint for every data point — maintain audit trails per ISMS requirements
6. GDPR-Compliant Collection: Only collect personal data with legal basis — MEP parliamentary activity is public, but private contact details and personal life data require GDPR justification
7. Timeliness Classification: Tag data with temporal validity — plenary votes are permanent record, committee compositions change each term, MEP contact details change frequently
8. Minimize Collection Footprint: Collect only data required for the analytical objective — avoid bulk harvesting of personal data beyond parliamentary functions
9. Attribution and Transparency: Always attribute data to its source; never present compiled OSINT as original analysis without citing underlying records
10. Ethical Boundaries: OSINT supports democratic transparency — never use parliamentary data for harassment, doxxing, or unauthorized surveillance of MEPs

Examples

EP Data Source Hierarchy

Tier 1 (Primary/Authoritative):
  - EP Open Data Portal API (via MCP Server tools: get_meps, get_voting_records, search_documents)
  - EUR-Lex (EU legislation full text)
  - EP Legislative Observatory (procedure tracking)

Tier 2 (Official/Complementary):
  - Council of the EU document register
  - European Commission consultations and impact assessments
  - EP Think Tank (EPRS) publications and briefings

Tier 3 (Structured Secondary):
  - VoteWatch Europe (processed voting data)
  - MEP personal websites and social media (declared positions)
  - National parliament records (pre-EP career data)

Tier 4 (Media/Unstructured):
  - EU-focused media (Politico Europe, EUobserver, Euractiv)
  - National media in MEP's home country
  - Academic publications and research papers

MEP Activity Verification

To verify an MEP's claimed legislative activity:
1. Query MCP Server: get_meps with MEP identifier
2. Cross-reference with get_voting_records for votes and get_plenary_sessions for speeches
3. Check committee membership and rapporteur assignments
4. Verify attendance patterns against official EP attendance records
5. Compare self-reported activity with EP roll-call vote participation rate
6. Document discrepancies with source citations and timestamps

Legislative Procedure Tracking

Track EU legislative dossier through institutional lifecycle:
1. Use track_legislation to identify the dossier reference (e.g., 2023/0079(COD))
2. Map committee responsible and committees for opinion
3. Track amendments: committee stage → plenary stage → trilogue
4. Cross-reference Council general approach with EP position
5. Monitor conciliation committee outcomes if applicable
6. Record all data points with EP Open Data Portal provenance

Anti-Patterns

• Single Source Reliance: Do NOT base conclusions on a single data source — even EP official data may have delays, errors, or incomplete records
• Bulk Personal Data Collection: Do NOT harvest MEP personal data beyond what is necessary for parliamentary accountability analysis — this violates GDPR and ISMS policies
• Unverified Attribution: Do NOT attribute positions to MEPs based solely on political group membership — verify individual voting records and stated positions
• Ignoring Data Staleness: Do NOT treat cached or historical data as current — always check retrieval timestamps and data freshness, especially for committee compositions
• Conflating Public and Private: Do NOT mix MEP's official parliamentary activity (public OSINT) with private life information — maintain strict boundaries
• Over-Collection: Do NOT collect data "just in case" — follow the collection plan and minimize data retention per GDPR data minimization principles
• Ignoring Source Bias: Do NOT treat all sources as equivalent — media reports have editorial bias, advocacy organizations have policy agendas, and even official records may reflect institutional framing