Temporary deal on MEPs’ wages in sight

Date: 20/01/2000

By Gareth Harding

HOPES are rising that a short-term solution to the long-running dispute between the European Parliament and EU governments over MEPs' pay, tax and pensions could be found by the summer.

But a permanent statute looks further away than ever after the Parliament's rapporteur on the subject, German Socialist Willi Rothley, presented a report to the assembly's civil affairs committee this week which could delay the new rules for years.

Rothley is proposing that the Parliament should ask outside contractors to carry out two studies into the work done by MEPs and how their salaries compare with those of other politicians and senior civil servants. On the basis of these reports, a committee of wise men - picked by the Parliament but composed of independent public figures - would propose an average salary for members.

National officials have cautiously welcomed the idea as a way of settling this sensitive issue once and for all. However, some suspect the proposal is a delaying tactic which would scupper all hope of agreeing a permanent statute for members before the next Euro-elections in 2004.

After almost six months of tortuous discussions between the Parliament and the Council of Ministers, the two are still divided over where MEPs should be taxed and when they should receive their generous pensions.

There are, however, growing signs that a compromise could be struck on a temporary statute for the remainder of this Parliament's term. Rothley said he was "very optimistic" a transitional regime could be agreed within months, and a paper drawn up by the Finnish presidency last month has gone some way towards addressing MEPs' fears.

One possible solution could be to give members a choice betwen signing up to new rules on pensions, pay and salaries or sticking with the current ones.

Hopes are rising that a short-term solution to the long-running dispute between the European Parliament and EU governments over MEPs' pay, tax and pensions could be found by the summer of 2000.