Islington MP Fights to Cut EU Waste

Michael Moriarty interviews MEP, Baroness Sarah Ludford. Photo Alun Hill 2010.

By Guest Writer, Michael Moriarty

The constant journeying of the European Parliament, once a month, between Brussels and Strasbourg is a complete waste of time and money – not to mention the frayed nerves of MEPs.

This is the opinion of Islington resident, Baroness Sarah Ludford, MEP, when she addressed a fact-finding group of British journalists in Brussels on Wednesday, June 23rd.

In an hour-long meeting with the writers and photographers from the Chartered Institute of Journalists, she outlined her role as a Liberal Democrat Euro-MP, also touching upon such subjects as  Civil Liberties and the European Arrest Warrant since she is spokeswoman for the British Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament on the Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs committee.

But it was when I asked her about her well publicised views on the monthly move of MEPs, support staff, documents and other files from Brussels to Strasbourg for a period of just four days and at the cost of hundreds of thousands of Euros, that she became passionately vocal:

“I find it appalling that the work of the parliament has to be interrupted for just a few days each month just to satisfy the demands of one or two member countries,” she said. “For the most part, it takes up to three weeks just to plan what files and other documents to take, to say nothing of the vast expense and the added cost to the environment in taking unnecessary journeys like this.”

Lady Ludford is now part of the Campaign for Parliamentary Reform – a cross-party group of MEPs committed to securing a single seat for the European Parliament. This action saw British, German and Scandinavian MEPs join together to call for an end to the monthly Strasbourg trip.

The 500 mile round-trip journey represents a huge cost to the European taxpayer. Twelve times a year, 732 MEPs with 2000 assistants and many hundreds more parliament staff take to the road from Brussels to Strasbourg. They are followed by removal vans that carry 3500 trunks packed full of folders and papers necessary for a week’s work.  The costs total more than 200 million Euros per year (£140 million).

Lady Ludford also said:  “I really hate this inefficiency.  The European Parliament is becoming a more powerful and politically mature institution.  It needs to get on with its work in a business-like fashion and a full-time single seat in Brussels would reflect that.

“But the Lisbon Treaty now gives some hope because under its provisions, the Citizens’ Initiative, with one million citizen signatures, will force errant member countries to comply with this reform.  Strasbourg will always have a special place in the history of the European Union, but paying this price for symbolism is unacceptable.

“The Strasbourg buck stops with national governments. They bear ultimate responsibility for this needless cost and waste. They must find an amicable way to end the Brussels-Strasbourg circus.”

Further information: Mike Moriarty, Tel. 020 7254 7895