Friday

31st Mar 2023

MEPs may scrap call for scrutiny on allowances

  • MEPs receive a monthly office allowance, but are not held accountable how they spend it (Photo: EUobserver)

Members of the two largest political groups in the European Parliament have tabled an amendment that would weaken a call for greater scrutiny on the way MEPs spend their office allowances.

The amendment will be put to the vote on Wednesday (29 April) as part of a wider vote which would sign off the European Parliament's 2013 budget.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

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

... or subscribe as a group

  • MEPs will vote on their allowances Wednesday afternoon. (Photo: European Parliament / Pietro Naj-Oleari)

Each of the 751 MEPs receives a monthly “general expenditure allowance” of €4,299, to cover the cost of office(s), computers, telephones, and other office-related expenses. But there are no checks on how they spend it.

The original text, which was adopted by the parliament's budgetary affairs committee in March, included the phrase: “[the Parliament] considers it advisable for every Member to submit an end-of-year public report on these allowances”.

The amendment, if adopted, would change that to: “[the Parliament] calls on the Bureau [the EP's administrative body] to work on the definition of more precise rules regarding the accountability of expenditures authorised under this allowance, without causing additional costs to Parliament”.

Furthermore, the amendment states that if it is adopted, two paragraphs (43 and 44) criticising the virtually unchecked payout of the allowances, would fall. These paragraphs call for “the introduction of obligatory annual reporting by the Members of their expenditures paid out of” the office allowance.

Dutch Liberal MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, who is the shadow rapporteur in the file and favours greater scrutiny, questioned the automatism that paragraphs 43 and 44 should fall, were the amendment adopted.

The amendment was tabled by Spanish socialist MEP Ines Ayala, German conservative MEP Markus Pieper, and French socialist MEP Gilles Pargneaux. Pargneaux was also the author of the original report.

While the conservative and the socialist groups in the parliament, who enjoy a majority together, often have considerable party discipline, Gerbrandy notes that divisions on the issue of MEP office allowances are common in most groups.

“It has to do with what is common in an MEP's national political culture. Members of the German national parliament for example also receive a lump-sum allowance”, the Dutch MEP said, adding that the national perception of 'Brussels' will also likely be a factor influencing how MEPs will vote.

Update: The amendment was adopted with 576 votes in favour, 74 against, and 48 abstentions.

MEPs to raise monthly allowances

MEPs are increasing their monthly allowances, arguing that it is justified as they have remained unchanged since 2011.

Opinion

Biden's 'democracy summit' poses questions for EU identity

From the perspective of international relations, the EU is a rare bird indeed. Theoretically speaking it cannot even exist. The charter of the United Nations, which underlies the current system of global governance, distinguishes between states and organisations of states.

Opinion

Turkey's election — the Erdoğan vs Kılıçdaroğlu showdown

Turkey goes to the polls in May for both a new parliament and new president, after incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan decided against a post-earthquake postponement. The parliamentary outcome is easy to predict — the presidential one less so.

Latest News

  1. EU sending anti-coup mission to Moldova in May
  2. Firms will have to reveal and close gender pay-gap
  3. Why do 83% of Albanians want to leave Albania?
  4. Police violence in rural French water demos sparks protests
  5. Work insecurity: the high cost of ultra-fast grocery deliveries
  6. The overlooked 'crimes against children' ICC arrest warrant
  7. EU approves 2035 phaseout of polluting cars and vans
  8. New measures to shield the EU against money laundering

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  2. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us