MEPs vote for pay increase and then to cover up European Parliament fraud
23 April 2008
MEPs voted yesterday to cover up a report showing widespread abuse of allowances worth £125 million every year. The MEPs also rejected calls, supported by the European Ombudsman, for the names of 407 MEPs who receive a second voluntary pension to be published. Officials have suggested that "a significant number" of MEPs illegally pay their personal contributions to the pension scheme from their office allowances.
Chris Davies, a Liberal Democrat MEP, attacked the latest cover-up as bringing "discredit and dishonour upon the entire parliament.” He added, “Far from cleaning up their act, a majority of MEPs seem intent on allowing greed and self-interest to triumph over the proper financial management of public money".
European Voice reports that MEPs yesterday also approved the EU’s budget for 2006 – despite the Court of Auditors failing to sign off the EU’s accounts for the thirteenth year running. According to Danish daily Jyllands-Posten the budget was approved by 582 votes to 77. In return for approval, the EP demanded that the Commission adopted a new action plan under which member states will have to provide national declarations on the use of structural funds signed by finance ministers, or funds will be frozen. The EP also voted to increase the pay for its members and assistants, under a new statute that will come into force in 2009, and agreed that MEPs should not employ family members – although stopping short of making such a requirement legally binding.
The Telegraph notes that the requirement not to employ family members will be buried in “a general long-term review of allowances”, expected to take place over the next year, and quotes a parliamentary official saying, "Don't hold your breath, things have a way of disappearing like this."
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The front page of the FT reports that expectations of a rethink of support for biofuels in Europe and the
Gordon Brown said yesterday that the
Nonetheless, the European Commission has been defending its 10 per cent target. Asked by reporters on Monday whether the EU was reconsidering its position on the biofuels target, a spokesman said: “The answer is very simple. No.”
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Lib Dems in the Lords will not table any amendments to
PA reports that the Liberal Democrats in the Lords have not tabled any amendments to the European Union (Amendment) Bill, which brings into force the Lisbon Treaty. The Conservatives, crossbenchers and UKIP peers have tabled nearly 170 amendments for the Bill's six-day committee stage, which began yesterday. However, there are no amendments from the Liberal Democrats.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg controversially ordered his MPs to abstain in the Commons on a demand from the Conservatives for a referendum on the Treaty, sparking three frontbench resignations. However, the Lib Dems in the Lords have changed from this position, and are set to support the Government in the Upper House.
For the Conservatives, Lord Howell of
For the Lib Dems, Lord Wallace of Saltaire replied: "It is not line-by-line scrutiny that we need. Line-by-line scrutiny of the treaty has already been well undertaken by well over 100 peers in the Lords EU select committees."
Europaportalen reports that a revised version of the Commission’s Health Directive will be re-tabled on June 25.
EU to propose oil stocks directive that could cost
The Guardian reports that the European Union has launched a public consultation over the oil reserves member states hold to cushion themselves against unexpected oil crises. The Commission has indicated that it is planning to announce a legislative proposal in the second half of the year, the paper notes. A previous EU proposal, which would have increased emergency oil stocks to 120 days, was blocked by the
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Legal bid to force a referendum goes ahead
The Telegraph reports on businessman Stuart Wheeler’s legal bid to force a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Rabinder Singh QC argued in the High Court yesterday that the Government had created “a legitimate expectation” that it would hold a vote and that ministers’ decision to “resile from their promise” should be declared unlawful. The judge indicated that he would consider the case over the next few weeks.
The Danish centre-right minority government is to invite other domestic political parties to discuss its opt-outs from the European Union, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said yesterday. Rasmussen told reporters that the invitation would include the pro-EU parties in Parliament.
French
We are European, not atlanticists
In an interview with Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza last week, which is published on the French Foreign Office site, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says “We really need a European pact on migration and asylum. For countries like
Meanwhile, in an interview with
In an article in Le Figaro, Graham Watson, the leader of the ALDE group in the European Parliament, writes: “Rarely has a member of the EU taken so much care in preparing its presidency of the Council as France in 2008”.
Dutch MPs call for strengthening of interparliamentary links amid concern that
Agence Europe reports that two Dutch MPs, Luuk Blom from the ruling PvdA and Han ten Broeke of the opposition VVD, have called for a strengthening of COSAC – the body which has brought together national parliaments' European affairs committees and representatives of the European Parliament twice a year since 1989. They want it to become the place where national parliaments adopt their stances on all Commission proposals, meaning it would have to become more structured, meet at least every two months, and have its administrative capacity reinforced. They said: “It is only by creating good coordination between national parliaments that we can guarantee that their new powers of scrutiny on subsidiarity and proportionality, provided for by the Lisbon Treaty, will not be just empty words.” They will invite their European colleagues to take up the call at the next COSAC meeting in
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The Coulisses de Bruxelles blog reports that Commission President Jose Barroso yesterday released a statement saying that if Franco Frattini leaves to become a member of the Italian government, current Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot will take over from him as Justice and Internal Affairs Commissioner, and the Italian government will appoint a Commissioner to fill the transport portfolio.
The blog notes that
BBC Europe Correspondent Mark Mardell however judges this interpretation to be “wide of the mark”, and sees the move as an attempt by Barroso to ‘get his own back’ at Berlusconi. European Voice notes that Italian MEP Antonio Tajani is expected to be nominated as
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The FT reports that
An article in Le Figaro asks whether the French EU Presidency, under pressure from
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Commission proposes working group to reconcile free movement and unions’ rights
Swedish Radio reports that the EU Commission has proposed that a ”working group” will look into how free movement and unions’ rights can be reconciled, following the recent labour market rulings in the Viking- Laval and Ruffert cases. The group will also look into how different member states’ labour market rules relate to one another. Swedish Social Democrat Jan Andersson – who leads a similar working group in the European Parliament – is quoted saying that the proposal “will not be enough to prevent social dumping.”
Le Monde reports that
MEPs call for EU stance on communist crimes
Several MEPs have called on the EU to formally recognise crimes committed by Stalinist regimes and compensation for its victims on the same terms as victims of the Nazis. However, the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE-NGL) grouping in the Parliament is opposed to equating the crimes of Nazism with those of Stalinism. The GUE-NGL brings together MEPs from left-wing parties, including some who while not supporting Stalinism still call themselves communists.
EU carving up
Coinciding with
The IHT notes that European countries are due to build about 50 coal-fired plants over the next five years, which will be in use for the next five decades.
A survey compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit has identified
Turkey could join the European Union in 10 to 15 years if it remains fully committed to the reform path, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has said.