Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
MEPs award themselves expenses rise
MEP's yesterday approved an increase of €9.4 million for this year's European Parliament budget, adding €1,500 a month to their staff expenses allowance.
MEPs receive €17,540 a month, over and above their salary and a raft of other allowances, to recruit staff for their political offices both in Brussels and in their constituency.
With the enactment of the Lisbon Treaty earlier this year, MEPs argued that staff allowance had to reflect the "added responsibility" they shouldered and, therefore, the need to be able to hire more staff.
This latest increase, which comes amid calls for restraint among EU member states due to the recession and the global financial turmoil, will see MEPs staff allowances this year rise to €19,040 a month. The money does not go directly into the MEPs pockets but is used to pay for the hiring of staff and consultants.
The decision was approved during a vote in Strasbourg with 509 votes in favour, 111 against and 31 abstentions. All five Maltese MEPs voted in favour and the Liberals and the British Conservatives voted against.
Beyond this year, MEPs are already lobbying with the Commission and member states for another €1,500 monthly increase in next year's budget, bringing the total staff allowances to €20,540 a month. The argument is that the €3,000 monthly rise in staff allowance (for 2010 and 2011) will make it possible for them to recruit an extra full-time assistant each.
With the latest increases, the EP budget for 2010 will stand at €1.706 billion.
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14 Comments
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oliver mallia
May 21st 2010, 20:24
Who voted for them, ahjar ghalikom! During Mep’s campaign, main issue was the illegal immigrants. What have been done? Xejn or we came worst. Have a look in Bugibba, dilapidated building and the poor persons sleeping on carton boxes, while others rent apartments. The first bus in the morning from the terminus will be full up. There was time that we even had persons sleeping in the bus stops. Oliver Mallia St Paul's Bay
Ludwig Flask
May 21st 2010, 21:10
and "...All five Maltese MEPs voted in favour..." of course and their voters have to work hard to get a miser 10 Euro (excluding TAX) pay increase. I would rephrase “Who voted for them, ahjar ghalikom!” to “Who voted for them, ahjar ghaliHom!”
c. camilleri
May 21st 2010, 14:59
Imagine how much work to eradicate poverty can be done with all this money. Brussels has become the mecca where one can make money.
It is a pity that while all Europeans are trying hard to make both ends meet, MEPs have awarded themselves such hefty sums as if they have not enough.
Even our labour MEPs who always vote no in our Parliament this time agreed to votes yes. Naturally it fits their pockets.
Paul Farrugia
May 21st 2010, 14:52
MEP'S TAL-MISTHIJA
lgalea
May 21st 2010, 14:36
L-unika triq hija li nitilqu mill-misħuta ue, nieħdu rajna f'idejna u ma nħallsux iżjed għal dawn l-eċċessi u ħniżrijiet.
Anthony Farrugia
May 22nd 2010, 08:44
Mr Igalea : Where would we be out of the EU and out of the Eurozone ? Would the LM (Malta Pound) have finished as in the Weimar Republic in the 1920s paying for a loaf of bread with LM10,000,000 and rampant hyper-inflation , massive unemployment and a bloated public sector as in October 1986! You are always preaching about getting out of the EU but you have never put forward what the alternatives - if any exist - would be. Are your alternatives "Switzerland in the Mediterranean" or "Partnership" ? Remember that the Lisbon Treaty was ratified in Parliament by the votes of both Government and Opposition members.
Or is your alternative the equivalent of jumping over the edge of the precipice with no parachute ? I am sure that many who read your anti-EU and anti-Eurozone comments are looking forward to reading what your alternatives are when we supposedly ditch the EU and Euro.
Claire Busuttil
May 21st 2010, 14:03
simply disgusting!!!
A Sciberras
May 21st 2010, 11:43
X'ma giggieldux ghalih dak is-siggu.
Kemm jiswa hux??????????
Hallas hallas ha jkollna x'nonfqu!!!!!!!!!!!
ASpiteri
May 21st 2010, 11:34
hallas gahan!
John Ebejer
May 21st 2010, 11:20
Admittedly, this is not a correct message to be sent in these difficult times. Very ill-timed. It all shows that whover is in power, cuts himself off from the reality that the electors are living in! There is nothing more to be said.
Joe Grech
May 21st 2010, 11:07
What a shame! Robbery of the people's money by a lot of bungling fools who often found themselves in Brussels simply on political credentials!
And the E.U. expects people and national parliaments to economize...what a scream!
J. Cilia
May 21st 2010, 10:41
minn mejjet ghal qatra u minn mejjet fis sakra. kulhadd b'xortih fid-dinja.
g. scerri
May 21st 2010, 10:28
Greece may be sinking, the eurozone is in great trouble, the European "dream" may be in danger according to Angela Merkel, but MEPs are still doing what they do best.
L Fenech
May 21st 2010, 10:17
Iz-zejjed kollhu zejjed l-aktar f'dawn iz-zmienijiet.