08/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - Margie Sudre, President of the Delegation of the 17 members of the European Parliament of the UMP (EPP-ED group) told Mr Giuliani, the President of the Robert Schuman Foundation of her "great astonishment" at various stances presented in a study by the Foundation, which was published on 27 June. This study focuses on the influence of France in the European Parliament and attempts to step up the visibility of the activity of MEPs in the eyes of their citizens. Margie Sudre notes first of all that the report "makes heavy weather of the apparent absenteeism of French members of the European Parliament plenary sessions". In fact, she says, "France has an attendance rate of 83%. I do not see quite how the entirely respectable participation rate of 83% at the plenary sessions allows you to aver that French MEPs are largely absent". She added that, quite the contrary, this figure showed that " the vast majority of MEPs attend regularly, contrary to the image which is generally held by the citizens".