MEPs attack new attendance rules

Date: 26/02/1998

By Rory Watson

THE European Parliament is reviewing its new policy on members' daily allowances after an unexpectedly strong rebellion from many MEPs.

Euro MPs denounced the new rules, applied for the first time in Strasbourg last week, as undemocratic and poorly conceived. Some complained that they did not intend to participate in certain votes and as a result their presence would not be recorded. Others challenged the democratic legitimacy of the rules, pointing out that they had not been voted on by the Parliament as a whole, but had been imposed by a small group of MEPs.

Under the new rules, members must be present for at least half of the important roll-call votes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays of each plenary session. If they are absent, their per diem subsistence allowance, which is paid by the Parliament, is cut by 50%.

The institution's vice-presidents and political group leaders will now consider what refinements could be introduced to take account of the blizzard of criticism. But there is little doubt that the link between MEPs' attendance and payment of the daily allowance will remain.

"It was just the normal reaction when something new is introduced. If you look at the Parliament as a whole, probably no more than 50 MEPs have a problem with this," said one senior member.

The relationship between allowances and votes was introduced by the institution's vice-presidents to counter allegations that some MEPs registered their attendance early in the day to qualify for the allowance and then took little further part in parliamentary business.

The link was also designed to ensure the strongest possible turnout for parliamentary votes which have a direct bearing on future EU legislation and where the support of at least half the 626 MEPs is required if changes are to be made to texts already agreed by Union governments. It worked. Last week's votes regularly attracted about 500 participants, far more than usual.

The new attendance requirements are the most stringent of any legislature in the EU and come on top of the existing policy of cutting by 50% the general expenses of Euro MPs who are present for less than half the session.

But the policy came in for immediate criticism, with some MEPs claiming that the change brought the Parliament into disrepute and undermined the dignity and status of the elected deputies.

"We do not have a duty to vote. We have a duty to know what the vote is about. Then it is up to us whether or not we vote. This is interference with a fundamental right and that is a very serious matter," said long-serving Scottish National MEP Winnie Ewing.

At times, the complaints degenerated into farce. One member explained that he was absent because he had to have a cup of coffee and go to the toilet. Another protested that he wished to relieve himself, but was determined to vote first. A third, who was late because her flight was delayed, wondered whether she should send the request for her daily allowance to the airline concerned.