The five Maltese MEPs in Brussels are set for an annual financial package increase of a further €21,000 each this year following a recent decision taken by the European Parliament's bureau.
The bureau, consisting of the EP president, 14 vice-presidents and the leaders of the political groups, decided to increase the already-generous parliamentary assistance allowance of every MEP by €1,500 a month.
Euro MPs are also set to benefit from a general salary increase of 3.7 per cent despite near zero inflation in Europe.
The controversial decision, which came under fire from a number of MEPs and member states who called the rises 'unjustified' in view of the current economic scenario, still needs to be approved before coming into force, most probably in May.
A spokesman for the EP told The Sunday Times the increase in the parliamentary assistance allowance was necessary due to the "added work MEPs are expected to perform in view of the entrance into force of the Lisbon Treaty".
According to the spokesman, the new treaty will integrate the EP further in the EU's legislative process and thus MEPs would need to provide better salaries for their employees and recruit more assistants.
"The €1,500 monthly increase to the MEPs' parliamentary assistance budget will not be pocketed by MEPs themselves and will be exclusively used to pay their staff," the spokesman said.
This decision, however, is not final as it still needs to be agreed by the EP's Committee of Budgetary Control and then by the MEPs themselves, the spokesman said.
All 736 MEPs already benefit from a €210,000 annual parliamentary assistance allocation which they use to hire staff and consultants for their private secretariats in Brussels and in their constituency offices.
Apart from this increase, this year MEPs will also see their annual pre-tax personal salaries boosted to €95,387, an increase of 3.7 per cent on the salary they started receiving last year when they were elected.
This increase means that Maltese MEPs' salary will be more than five times that of their counterparts in Malta's Parliament.
This increase became possible following amendments made to the MEPs' statute prior to last June's elections whereby the salaries of MEPs were no longer connected to what a member of their national parliament is paid but were instead based on a calculation tied to the salary of an EU judge.
According to the new statute, as from the 2009 legislature all MEPs are paid a salary amounting to 38.5 per cent of the annual salary of a judge sitting in the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
Confirming the €3,400 annual increase in the MEPs' take-home pay, the EP's spokesman said that since judges would see a raise in wages, MEPs are also entitled for an increase.
The 3.7 per cent increase, to be granted to all the EU institutions' staff, is being opposed by various member states, which are politically embarrassed to approve this increase to the already well paid Brussels bureaucrats while pursuing cost-cutting measures back home.
Member states are insisting the increase should be slashed by half. However, the European Commission is arguing that the increase should be given in full as it has been agreed a long time before the recession started.
The issue will now be probably taken before the ECJ for a final decision. Ironically, the judges deciding the case are also entitled to the full increase.