Strasbourg, 03/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament has gone along with its rapporteur, German Social Democrat Willy Rothley, in its approval on Tuesday by 294 votes in favour, 171 against and 59 abstentions, a draft status for MEPs, which, on Wednesday will take the shape of a European Parliament decision, to be transmitted to Council. Under article 190 of the Treaty, Parliament's draft decision is subject to a European Commission opinion before its formal adoption by Parliament, and its approval by the Council.
The only amendments the plenary made to the draft as presented by the rapporteur were signed by the rapporteur himself. These provided for: - the status to enter into force at the same time as the Treaty modifications decided on the basis of the work of the European Convention; - a transition period for future Member States, which can (from the entry into force of the accession Treaty until the beginning of the second EP mandate after that date) adopt overriding rules for compensation, transitional compensation, old-age pensions and survivors' pensions. Large chunks of the draft status, like article 16; which provides for compensation equal to 50% of the basic level treatment of a Judge from the Court of Justice, won a very large majority: 360 votes in favour, 137 against, and 21 abstentions. A similar majority (368 in favour, 133 against and 16 abstentions) was registered for article 18, which provides for compensation to be subject to Community taxation (in the same conditions as those applicable to European civil servants), Member States retain the right, however, to take compensation into account when setting tax rates for other income (on the Rothley report, see also EUROPE of 1 April, p.17).
At the end of this vote, in which he had taken part from his usual seat in the auditorium, President Pat Cox congratulated the rapporteur on the majority he had managed to bring together on his report, given that the assembly had started off deeply divided on this dossier. He called on his colleagues to accord a large majority to this decision on Wednesday, so that it can be approved by Council.
During the debate, the majority of MEPs spoke out in favour of equal pay for all, and, more importantly, for actual travel costs being reimbursed, as they believe this gives the Parliament greater democratic credibility in the eyes of the citizen. However, Willy Rothley declared: "we were led to believe that it was just a reform of salaries and reimbursement of expenses", whereas what is actually at play is "going beyond the structure of a parliamentary assembly to make us into a real parliament at last". Condemning the Council's "offhand lack of interest" on the issue; the rapporteur advocated a "European solution" to the compensation question, disagreeing with the Council's view that Member States could deduct an additional national tax on the sum of Parliamentary indemnity (which would be equal to 50% of the base level treatment of a Judge from the Court of Justice: Europe of 1 April, p.17). Speaking for the Committee on Budgets, Swedish Social Democrat Göran Färm indicated that the consequences of the proposed reform would be compatible with the provisions under the "Administration" part of the financial perspectives. British Diana Wallis, speaking for the Liberals, the Spanish Manuel Medina-Ortega for the Socialists, and the German Klaus-Heiner Lehne, for EPP-ED, supported this report, which they found "very well balanced". Mr Lehne praised the Italians for accepting a lower rate of compensation than the current level, and the Greens and GUE/NGL, for their decision not to table an amendment asking for the threshold proposed by the Parliament to be lowered further. However, the Dane Ole Krarup inferred that GUE/NGL may not be able to vote for the report, because "certain taxation provisions are unacceptable". "It is hard to believe in the great principles of democratic legitimacy when it comes down to money", he explained, attacking overly high compensation and the system of privileges MEPs benefit from. Neil MacCormick, Greens/FTA, UK, "partly agrees" with Mr Krarup. Although he opposes "a system of privileges and immunity", the Scottish National Party MEP is in favour of a "reasonable" salary across the board, and a transparent system for the reimbursement of expenses. Dutch Green Kathalijne Buitenweg proposed that "proofs of purchase" be supplied by MEPs for the reimbursement of travel expenses. Her compatriot Rijk van Dam, speaking for EDD, criticised the amendment calling for a postponement of the regulation's application until 2009. Italian Radical Gianfranco Dell'Abba believes that reform of the staff regulations raises the question of the prerogatives of the European Parliament, which "are not those of the national parliaments". Lastly, speaking against his group, Swedish Social Democrat Hans Karlsson said "we should keep the right to pay tax in Sweden, and we will vote for that right".