Strasbourg, 12/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament President Nicole Fontaine and the Vice-President Gérard Onesta (Green, France), rapporteur on the dossier on the MEP's assistants announced the approval of the Parliament Bureau, on Monday, of a series of transitory measures proposed by Mr. Onesta so as to obtain greater transparency and equity in this domain. The modifications to Article 14 of the Regulation concerning expenses and allowances of MEPs approved by the Bureau, underlines Mrs. Fontaine and Mr. Onesta, "strengthen the monitoring of the use of secretariat allowances (by the MEPs) so as to ensure each assistant a work contract, a health insurance and insurance against work related accidents." These measures, that will enter into force at the latest the 1 January 2001, require that, from now on, each MEP presents a copy of his assistants work contract, proof of the assistants membership to a health insurance body and proof of the assistants insurance against work related accidents. Furthermore, indicated Mrs. Fontaine and Mr. Onesta, "the desire for transparency by the Parliament" has lead to calls for the establishing of a nominative list of the assistants that is accessible to the public. Mrs. Fontaine and Mr. Onesta welcomed this "concrete move forward" and felt that the parliament is "now on firmer ground to undertake the negotiations with the Council for the rapid adoption of a statute for the parliamentary assistants.