All present and correct?

Date: 31/10/1996

ONCE again, the issue of MEPs' allowances is under the spotlight, amid mounting criticism of the system used to calculate how much each member of the European Parliament should receive.

When the institution's senior leaders meet next week to discuss what can be done to answer those criticisms, they will do so against a backdrop of growing public concern in many member states over the lifestyles of their elected representatives at a time when governments are calling on citizens to tighten their belts and make the sacrifices necessary to meet the targets for entry into economic and monetary union.

So poor is the Parliament's image in this respect that the British press has even coined a term - SISO ('sign in and sod off') - to describe the practice among some MEPs of signing the attendance register in the parliamentary chamber at the start of a day's business and then immediately heading for home.

MEPs do themselves a disservice by leaving the door open to such attacks. Those who argue for the retention of the daily allowance system point out that just because MEPs are not in the chamber when votes are taken, it does not necessarily mean they are not actively engaged in parliamentary business elsewhere, working in their offices, attending meetings or talking to constituents visiting the Parliament's premises.

This is undoubtedly the case for many MEPs, but it only takes an unscrupulous few intent on abusing the system to tarnish the image of the Parliament as a whole.

That is why the current rules both for paying the daily attendance allowance and for calculating travel expenses must now be changed.

Klaus Hänsch has made reform of the Parliament's internal procedures a priority for his term as president of the institution, recognising the damage done to its reputation by a system which allows a minority to line their pockets at the expense of European taxpayers.

He has been right to do so, and deserves the full support of the Parliament's vice-presidents and political group leaders when they meet next week. MEPs are fond of criticising Commissioners for the way their expenses budget is spent. Having drawn attention to this issue, they must beware of leaving themselves open to precisely the same line of attack.