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Visitors to the European Parliament. MEPs can invite guests and pay for their hotels through the 'general expenditure allowance' (Photo: European Parliament)

MEPs may be forced to return 'unused' office expenses

The president of the European Parliament and the fourteen vice-presidents will decide on Monday (2 July) whether to make the system of reimbursing MEPs' office expenses more transparent.

MEPs receive the "general expenditure allowance" (GEA) – a lump sum of €4,416 – every month to cover office expenses like phone bills and computer equipment.

However, there are no controls over how they are spent – and many MEPs are reluctant t...

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