Brussels, 06/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - Approving the report by Inigo Mendez de Vigo (EPP, Spain) on Thursday 6 May, the European Parliament authorised member states to convene a short intergovernmental conference (IGC) - without prior convention - to amend Protocol No 36 of the Lisbon Treaty in order to add the 18 additional MEPs who are to hold seats for the rest of the 2009-2014 legislature (EUROPE 10131). The IGC may be held on the sidelines of the European Council in June. Many MEPs who took the floor during the debate on Wednesday afternoon criticised the fact that France intends to designate two deputies of the National Assembly to hold seats at the EP. “Me neither - I do not like the idea that deputies who are not directly elected to hold seats at the EP enter the Parliament. However, if I have to choose between accepting this transitional situation or blocking the arrival of all 18 additional deputies, then I opt for the first solution”, Mendez de Vigo said. Andrew Duff (ALDE) also withdrew his reservation but underlined that the fundamental reform of the European elections that he suggested this week (see details in EUROPE 10131) should naturally be prepared by a convention that should come prior to the IGC. (H.B./transl.jl)