MEPs held to account on expenses

By Martin Banks

Date: 17/03/05

The Parliament's budgetary control committee voted yesterday (16 March) by 16-15 to force MEPs to disclose details of how they spend their €3,785 per month general expenditure allowance.

The committee recommended that the allowance, intended for office expenses, be accounted for either by presentation of receipts for major items or by an annual accountant's report.

There has been much criticism of the fact that MEPs are not required to keep receipts for the allowance, despite a 1998 recommendation by the Court of Auditors that this should be done.

One of the particular topics of concern has been the use of the allowance to contribute to pension schemes.

MEPs are supposed to repay contributions made from the allowance to the Parliament's pension fund.

But in the absence of any accounting procedures there is no guarantee that the rules are respected.

The budgetary control committee, however, rejected any sanctions mechanisms against MEPs who do not repay their part of the pension contributions deducted from the allowance.

MEPs will vote on the recommendation during the 11 April plenary in Strasbourg where stiff opposition is expected from centre-right deputies.

UK Liberal MEP Chris Davies said Parliament's reputation had been undermined by a "succession of scandals" about the misuse of expenses.

He said: "We have today taken a small step forward but more MEPs must recognise the need for change."

The committee also adopted an amendment by Dutch Socialist Edith Mastenbroek calling for an end to the Parliament's three-seat arrangement, saying it would be more "cost-effective" to meet only in Brussels.

The European Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee voted on 16 March 2005 by 16-15 to force MEPs to disclose details of how they spend their €3,785 per month general expenditure allowance. The Committee recommended that the allowance, intended for office expenses, be accounted for either by presentation of receipts for major items or by an annual accountant's report. MEPs were to vote on the recommendation during the 11 April plenary in Strasbourg where stiff opposition was expected from centre-right deputies.