MEPs told to justify budget increase

A PROPOSED €24,000-per-year increase in the secretarial allowance for MEPs has been blocked.

The move would have seen the amount rise from €12,500 to €14,500 a month from January.

But the assembly's budgets committee, which has to approve any increase, has refused to do so and has told Parliament's bureau, comprising the assembly's President Josep Borrell and 14 vice-presidents, to justify the increase.

The bureau will discuss the issue when it meets at the start of next week's plenary in Strasbourg.

A Parliamentary insider said: “The ball is now in the bureau's court. They will have to spell out exactly why they think MEPs should get more money to pay their staff. Unless they can do so, this is dead in the water.”

The allowance is to pay for staff working for MEPs in Brussels and their constituencies. Some bureau members have attempted to justify the rise claiming that MEPs' workload has increased since EU enlargement.

The European Parliament's Budgets Committee refused to approve plans of the Parliament's bureau, comprising EP President Josep Borrell and 14 Vice-presidents, to increase the secretarial allowance for MEPs from 12,500 euro to 14,500 euro a month from January 2004 and asked for a justification.