The European Parliament is seeking to clampdown on salary and expenses abuse after a series of scandals, but its reforms could create new euro jealousy.
With Britain's Parliament expenses storm grabbing the international spotlight, the EU assembly is battling to prevent a record high abstention rate for this week's election and is eager to avoid any hint of scandal.
But it has been forced to act after even bigger sums of money than those were revealed to have been misused or wasted, again with British deputies tainted.
One British member was accused of paying more than £500,000 (€580,000) in expense allowances to a company owned by his family.
From next month, when the new assembly sits for the first time, all 736 members of the European Parliament will receive a monthly salary of €7,665.31 paid by the Parliament.
Currently, the money is provided by the country the MEPs come from and is limited to the level deputies in their national parliaments earned. This has created a pay gulf, especially between eastern and western European members of the 27-nation EU.
Italian deputies earn more than €11,700 a month, while a Bulgarian counterpart takes home less than €1,000 and a Lithuanian lawmaker pockets €1,200 French and German MEPs (€7,000 and €7,670 respectively) will feel little change.
Countries like Italy and Austria, do not want to see their representatives lose pay, but the difference will have to be made up by the nations themselves.
And there will still be pay problems.
"The European deputies from Poland or Romania are going to earn a lot more than their national colleagues, and even more than their Prime Ministers," said Hans-Herbert Arnim, German specialist in administrative law.
"The euro deputies represent their people and their treatment should not be allowed to get out of hand" compared to their national lawmakers, he said, "That would not serve Europe's interests."
The EU is also seeking to tighten up on expenses following recent abuses.
On top of pay, the deputies get €17,540 a month to pay for a secretary or parliamentary assistant and for research.
Some have used the money to hire relatives, turning their offices into mini-family companies. Some used the money to pay for fictional services, according to an EU audit last year. Travel expenses will also be cleaned up.
Until now there have been no limits on travel expenses, but a ceiling will be set and MEPs will have to provide proof of payment, unlike the very generous travel allowances they receive now.