26/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - CDU MEP Klaus-Heiner Lehne is disappointed in the Council's failure to reach agreement on MEP regulations, due to the "veto of Germany, Austria, France and Sweden" (see p.5). He feels that "this is more regrettable as the proposal submitted to the vote was serious and well-balanced". Mr Lehne criticised the popular press's campaign on MEPs' incomes, which he feels swayed the behaviour of the Member States. He was particularly indignant to hear it claimed "this morning, on Morgenmagazin (German morning television programme) that the MEPs get, on top of their normal salary, an additional 20,000 EUR a month", which is "a total invention". The result, he said, is that the current provisions remain in force (salaries calculated on the basis of those of national MPs plus travel expenditure). It will be up to the new Parliament, elected in June, to tackle this, during the sixth legislative period.