New call for assistants’ register

Date: 07/11/02

By Martin Banks

AN MEP has stepped up her campaign for the European Parliament to set up a public register of members' assistants.

Deputies currently receive a monthly secretarial allowance of up to €12,052 and the assembly's 626 MEPs usually employ two or three assistants each.

But no records are kept on how members spend the allowance and Finnish deputy Heidi Hautala says this leaves the system vulnerable to abuse.

She says possible misuse of the secretarial fund by MEPs may include:

• diverting the cash to political parties in their own countries or interest groups, and;
• using it to employ family members, even when they are based in members' home constituencies.

Some deputies have criticised Hautala, saying a register would infringe data protection rules and compromise assistants' privacy.

But Hautala insists a register would reduce the potential for abuse and lead to greater transparency of public funds.

She said: 'The simple fact is that the names of anyone employed by MEPs and funded by the secretarial allowance should be made public.

There is currently a lack of transparency because European taxpayers do not know how this allowance is being spent and they have a right to know.'

Why the secrecy?

Members of the Parliament's legal affairs and internal market committee will debate the issue on 27 November.

MEP Heidi Hautala has stepped up her campaign for the European Parliament to set up a public register of members' assistants.