28/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - A press release from the UMP congratulates the MEPs from the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (who are part of the EPP-ED group in the European Parliament) on their having, for the second consecutive year, the best attendance record in plenary sessions, according to 2005-2006 statistics, published by Le Parisien. This helps to “counter the image of French absenteeism”, say the MEPs, pointing out that the European Parliament “closely checks the work of MEPs, sometimes bringing severe financial penalties against those who are most often absent”. However, they regret that these “sometimes unfair” statistics do not cover the work done in parliamentary committees, overseas missions, drafting of reports and resolutions, “or even justified absences”. The attendance rate of UMP MEPs was 90.83% in 2005-2006, followed by Socialist MEPs, those of the Front National, the Greens, the members of the UDF, the Communists and those from the Mouvement pour le France (MPF), with an attendance rate of 70.49%.