Thursday

28th Mar 2024

EU petitions committee debates Brussels-Strasbourg 'travelling circus'

  • Strasbourg parliament - MEPs make the trip to the Alsatian capital 12 times a year (Photo: European Parliament)

Campaigners working to abolish the so-called travelling circus that sees the European Parliament move from Brussels to Strasbourg for one week every month, have had their complaint heard by the parliament's petitions committee, the first 'official' exchange of views on this contentious issue in any of the European institutions.

The first citizens' initiative ever, an online petition to call on European authorities to establish one 'seat' for the parliament, launched by former MEP and current minister for European Affairs Cecilia Malmström, was the subject of some heated discussion at the petitions committee hearing.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The first Austrian signatory to the campaign, Peter Strempel, also a communications consultant here in Brussels, presented the petition to the committee, which now has some 1.2 million signatures.

He compared the figure of €200 million – the cost to the European taxpayer of the constant shuttling between Brussels and Strasbourg – with what the EU spends on its student exchange programme Erasmus.

"Erasmus costs us €46 million annually. It is shocking that so much less is spent on this mechanism of European integration than on the 'travelling circus'," he said.

The petitioner also highlighted the cost of the two-seat parliament to the environment. Mentioning a study published a year ago that argued that the Strasbourg trip generates at least 20,000 extra tonnes of CO2 emissions – equalling 13,000 return flights from London to New York – he noted that this contrasts with the EU's own goal of reducing the effects of global warming.

In response, a representative of the parliament's legal service pointed out that the parliament actually had no powers on this issue as EU leaders have to decide the matter themselves unanimously.

Supporting the petitioner, UK Liberal MEP Diana Wallis, said: "Although I understand all the legal argument as to why we can't do anything, my concern for this committee is to show a way of dealing with the petition that acknowledges that so many have signed it."

She suggested two possibilities: proposing a question or resolution to the council and issuing a report on the subject. She also called for the development of a detailed mechanism on how to deal with petitions of more than a million signatories.

"We need to have a proper mechanism to deal with these sorts of petitions sooner rather than later," she said. "If this can't be dealt with by the parliament now, what will we do when after the approval of the Lisbon treaty [which gives a new but vague standing to such petitions] when we will have delivered to us a lot more of these million-strong petitions?"

Some French MEPs in the committee strongly disagreed with any suggestion of permanently moving the parliament away from Strasbourg.

"Do the citizens know about how rich a community [in Strasbourg] we have?" asked French Liberal MEP Janelly Fourtou, wondering where financial rationalisations will lead next. "If this is all about rationalisation, should we next be rationalising the languages that we use?"

She also highlighted the importance of Strasbourg as a symbol of post-war Franco-German reconciliation. "Strasbourg is a symbol of peace," she said.

But Belgian liberal MEP Frederique Ries called on the committee to end the years of silence on the issue. "We must break this rule of silence, this 'Omerta'"

"The Union is autistic in regards to its citizens here," she said.

The issue is now to be brought to the co-ordinators' meeting on Tuesday (26 February) to discuss whether the issue can be moved forward.

Ukraine slams grain trade restrictions at EU summit

Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Difficult talks ahead on financing new EU defence spending

With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. "Swiftly dial back" interest rates, ECB told
  2. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  3. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult
  4. EU unveils plan to create a European cross-border degree
  5. How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route
  6. 2024: A Space Odyssey — why the galaxy needs regulating
  7. Syrian mayor in Germany speaks out against AfD
  8. Asian workers pay price for EU ship recycling

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us