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Strasbourg Waste Must End, Says MEP Leader
Tuesday April 12, 2005
The European Parliament's monthly sessions in Strasbourg are a shameful waste of British taxpayers' money and should be stopped immediately, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, Conservative Leader in the European Parliament, said today.
Mr Kirkhope's comments came as MEPs voted to approve the parliament's accounts. Conservative MEPs voted against approving the accounts because the Court of Auditors has been unable to sign off the EU's accounts for more than a decade.
He said:
"If the European Union is serious about reform and accountability, ending the hugely expensive charade of monthly sessions in Strasbourg should be a priority.
Maintaining a second parliamentary seat effectively means pouring millions of pounds paid by British taxpayers down the plughole. The hassle of uprooting MEPs, parliamentary staff and other officials for just four days a month costs around £150 million a year. The only benefit is to the hoteliers, taxi drivers and restaurateurs of Strasbourg.
Parliament has repeatedly stressed that it has the right to decide where it sits. There is nothing in Strasbourg that we don't already have in Brussels.
Conservative MEPs have been at the forefront of the campaign for this fiasco to come to an end. British taxpayers are understandably angry at such a blatant misuse of their money."
Mr Kirkhope put forward an amendment calling for Strasbourg's 2006 sessions to be moved to Brussels but parliamentary authorities refused to consider letting MEPs vote on it.
The vote on the 2006 parliamentary calendar takes place at 12pm CET on Wednesday 13 April.
ENDS
