Brussels, 21/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - British Conservative Ashley Fox of the ECR Group at the European Parliament has launched an online petition aimed at putting an end to the “wasteful madness” of the monthly to and fro between Brussels and Strasbourg. He slammed the cost of the monthly transhumance, estimating that it costs around €200 million and 20,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. His petition is addressed to his government in order to persuade it to intervene at the European Council to bring this double-seat situation to a stop.
“This wasteful madness has to stop. However, there are powerful vested interests wanting to keep the whole costly farce going. Therefore, we need our own government to take action. That is why I have launched this petition”, Fox explains in a press releases. In his view, David Cameron's government should “table a proposal demanding a change in European law to allow us to meet in only one place”.
In 2011, the European Parliament voted for the second seat to be given up, without, however, specifying whether the axe should come down on Strasbourg or Brussels (EUROPE 10377). Such abandonment would require a unanimous decision from the European Council, as the name of Strasbourg appears in the European treaties. Fox's petition is available on: http://www.stopthestrasbourgcircus.com . (CG/transl.jl)