MEPs revolt over constitution info cash

By Martin Banks

Date: 03/03/05

PLANS by the European Parliament to allocate €7.6 million from its 'contingency fund' to pay for information campaigns on the European constitution are being challenged by dissenting MEPs.

A vote on whether to approve the expenditure was postponed at the last plenary session (21-24 February) after members demanded further information.

MEPs will raise their concerns at the Parliament's budgets committee in Strasbourg next Monday (7 March).

UK Conservative MEP Den Dover, a member of the committee, said: "The contingency fund should be reserved for unforeseen events over the course of the Parliamentary year. This is not one of them.

"How you can call the constitution an 'unforeseen' event is beyond me. We've all known about it, and the referendum campaigns, for some time."

"I am currently investigating the legality and appropriateness of this expenditure," he said, adding that there were also fears that public funds could be misused to give 'yes' campaigners an advantage.

Danish Liberal Anne Jensen said she was "astonished" at the amount involved. She said: "I will be seeking assurances over exactly how it will be spent.

"We have asked for more information on how this will be spent and hope to know more on Monday."

A Parliamentary source said the proposed expenditure might be considered as "unforeseen" because the assembly's political groups had only recently agreed to hold an information campaign.

A Parliament spokesman said: "It will be an entirely impartial campaign and we aim to strike a balance between both sides of the argument. The whole point will be to help raise awareness of the constitution and generate debate among people, some of whom are being asked to vote on the treaty."

The campaign, which will be co-ordinated by the Parliament's information offices in each member state capital, will feature public exhibitions, seminars, newspaper adverts, debates and distribution of information leaflets.

Plans by the European Parliament to allocate €7.6 million from its 'contingency fund' to pay for information campaigns on the European constitution are being challenged by dissenting MEPs. A vote on whether to approve the expenditure was postponed at the plenary session on 21-24 February 2005 after some Parliamentarians demanded further information.