13/09/2023 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 13 September, the European Parliament voted, with a large majority (515 votes in favour, 74 against, 44 abstentions), to give its consent to the agreement reached in the Council of the European Union to increase the number of MEP seats from 705 to 720 for the 2014-2029 parliamentary term (see EUROPE 13248/6). France (now with 81 seats), Spain (61) and the Netherlands (31) will gain two additional seats. The following will gain one additional seat: Poland (53), Austria (20), Belgium (22), Denmark (15), Finland (15), Slovakia (15), Ireland (14), Slovenia (9) and Latvia (9). Parliament’s Committee on Budgets pointed out that the adoption of the European Council’s decision on the composition of the Parliament would be without prejudice to Parliament’s budgetary powers, in response to the recital inserted by the Council of the EU to the effect that increasing the size of the Chamber should not have any budgetary consequences. To see the draft decision, go to : https://aeur.eu/f/8jh (MB)