Spend-thrift charge levelled at candidate countries’ celebration

Date: 19/09/02

By Martin Banks

PLANS to hold a three-day celebration in the European Parliament for candidate countries, at an estimated cost of €725,000, have been branded 'extravagant'.

Some 200 parliamentarians from the 12 accession countries have been invited to attend the event at Strasbourg from 19-21 November.

Invitations have also been sent to 120 print and broadcast journalists from the candidate states.

All 320 guests will have part of their travel and accommodation costs met by the Parliament. VIP guests include Romano Prodi, European Commission president, and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The event, billed as a 'celebration' of enlargement, includes:

• A day-long debate about the future of an enlarged EU;
• A concert, costing an estimated €80,000, and;
• Various cultural events, receptions and a gastronomic evening.

Pat Cox, the Parliament's president, and each of the political group leaders have backed the event. It has long been their strategy to involve candidate country representatives in the assembly ahead of enlargement. Such representatives would have observer status.

But Socialist Neena Gill branded the event 'extravagant', adding it should be called off. She says it is ludicrous to hold a celebration before it is known which of the 12 candidate countries will be joining the EU in 2004.

A final decision on the accession timetable is not due until the Copenhagen summit on 12-13 December.

Said Gill: 'I support enlargement wholeheartedly and recognise the value of having meaningful dialogue with politicians from candidate countries.

'But it is premature to hold extravagant celebrations to mark enlargement before the actual decision has been made.'

The assembly's budget committee last week approved a transfer of €622,000 for the event but Gill says the final bill is more likely to be well over €700,000.

Parliament spokesman David Harley defended the cost, saying it represents 'good value for money'.

He added: 'It was felt this would be an appropriate way of marking enlargement which is, after all, a historic event.'

Plans to hold a three-day celebration in the European Parliament for candidate countries, at an estimated cost of €725,000, have been branded 'extravagant'.

ESO: Information Guide: Enlargement of the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-enlargement-policy/

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