The grazing continues

brussels - The European Parliament refuses to impose rules for spending a monthly expense allowance of more than EUR 4400 for MEPs. The suspicion is that much of the money disappears in the pockets of the politicians as a hidden salary.

A proposal to have the 750 MEPs submit receipts in future in order to be able to justify their expenses has been voted down by the daily management of the parliament. Control by an accountant about the regularity of the expenditure is therefore not possible.

The allowance is intended to pay office expenses. MEPs can rent an office space in their own country, but also buy a computer, telephone or paper clips. But how the compensation, which comes on top of the gross salary of € 8,600 and a daily allowance of € 300, is issued, the MEPs are free.

In total this involves 50,000 euros per year per parliamentarian. A proposal to have MPs repay money that may not have been spent by the end of their term did not make it either.

The plan, which had now been voted down, was already rather minimal. A proposal to draw up a list of subjects to which the allowance could be spent was already out of the table, as was publication of the expenditure on Parliament's website.

All Dutch MEPs are for tightening the reins, but have to bite the dust. The Dutch parties in Parliament often use their own accountability rules. For example, at the VVD, only half of the amount may be paid, because nobody rents their own office. An accountant checks the expenses and is accountable to the central management, according to VVD MEP Hans van Baalen.

He speaks of 'a great missed opportunity. 'He hopes that the Liberal Alde group, which includes both VVD and D66, now voluntarily decides to opt for the out of tune system so that all liberal parties are accountable to the European taxpayer in the same way.

The SP is also deeply disappointed in its own 14-member parliamentary board. 'The least you can expect is that MEPs have an external accountant check the books,' says SP MEP Dennis de Jong. He has no good word for his colleagues who voted against reform, mainly Christian Democratic and Social Democratic parliamentarians from Germany and Eastern Europe.

'As far as I'm concerned, these colleagues are just pocket fillers,' says De Jong. It is precisely these political groups that are always talking about the image of the parliament and are trying to get the electorate to the polls for the European elections next year through expensive information campaigns. 'Because of their grassy behavior, however, they lose all credibility', according to the Dutch socialist.

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