MEPs to raise monthly allowances

During a meeting of the European Parliament's budget committee on 16 April 2015, it became clear its members were set to propose an increase to their monthly allowances, as part of a broader plan of staff reshuffle.

An MEP received at this point an allowance of €21,379 a month for expenses like assistants' salaries, supplies, and studies.

This proposal would increase it by an extra €1,500 per month bringing the annual allowance total to €275,000 per MEP or around €1 billion over the EP's five-year term.

Such change would happen as soon as new rules on local assistants were agreed.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: European Parliament questions overabundance of MEP assistants http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-parliament-questions-overabundance-of-mep-assistants/

ESO: Background information: EU court tells parliament to release document detailing MEP abuses http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-court-tells-parliament-to-release-document-detailing-mep-abuses/

European Parliament: Budget Committee: Draft report on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2016 (2015/2012(BUD)) http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-%2f%2fEP%2f%2fNONSGML%2bCOMPARL%2bPE-551.776%2b01%2bDOC%2bPDF%2bV0%2f%2fEN

EurActiv, 24.04.15: The Juncker Commission's hotel lifestyle http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-priorities-2020/check-time-juncker-commissions-hotel-lifestyle-314050

EUObserver, 29.04.15: MEPs may scrap call for scrutiny on allowances https://euobserver.com/institutional/128502

EUObserver, 04.05.15: Eurosceptic MEPs help reject financial transparency https://euobserver.com/institutional/128557

Politico, 31.03.15: MEPs seek staff allowance increase http://www.politico.eu/article/meps-seek-staff-allowance-increase/

BBC News, 30.04.15: MEPs rebuff transparency call and boost parliament budget http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32529283

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