Juridische stappen tegen de Raad voorbereid om besluit salaris europarlementariërs af te dwingen (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU states should be taken to court for failing to agree a reform of the MEPs' pay system, says a liberal MEP.

Andrew Duff, constitutional affairs spokesman for the liberals, has written to the European Parliament President Pat Cox to call on the Parliament to start legal proceedings against the Council.

"The Council's continuing failure to take a decision on the Members' Statute is a grave affront to the Parliament, which has acted in good faith", said Mr Duff in a statement.

"The Statute is a key element in the constitutional development of the Union. Because the position of MEPs from accession states will be intolerable in the new Parliament unless the Statute is in force, the matter of its resolution is now extremely urgent".

Mr Cox, who put the issue high on his agenda at the beginning of his term in office, has also showed his frustration at the lack of agreement.

The best way to go?

Speaking yesterday (28 January), Mr Cox said he regretted the "lost opportunity" adding that it was difficult to get a deal "when the ground shifts and the goal posts move".

However, it is not clear if the legal route is the way to go. Spokesperson for the Parliament, David Harley, said that Mr Cox "will check out" the proposal.

"Any means of reviving the talks are welcome ... but we are not at all sure yet if this is a serious runner", he told the EUobserver.

Member states on Monday (26 January) failed to agree a new system which would have given all MEPs a set salary of over 8,600 per month, paid from the EU budget, and scrapped the present opaque expenses scheme which allows euro-parliamentarians to make extra money on top of their paychecks.

At present each MEP is paid the same as their national counterparts leading to huge discrepancies between deputies - something which is set to become even more extreme when the new poorer member states join on 1 May.