CANCELLATION OF EURO PARLIAMENT'S STRASBOURG TRIP TO SAVE TAXPAYER OVER £300 PER MINUTE, SAYS MEP

2.55.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 26th Aug 2008

Local MEP Liz Lynne has estimated that the cancellation of the European Parliament's scheduled Strasbourg session next week, will save the tax payer an average £308.40 a minute.

Earlier this month the ceiling of the main chamber in the Strasbourg building partially collapsed, forcing the Parliament to cancel the once monthly trip. Normally, the 785 members of the European Parliament are forced to leave their main home in Brussels in order to travel to the French city where voting on Parliamentary legislation takes place. They are there for only four days leaving the building empty for 307 days of the year.

In addition to the actual members of the parliament, the trip also requires staff and container lorries full of papers to be transported across Europe, producing an estimated 20 000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Liz Lynne has for many years criticised this ridiculous process, arguing that it is a waste of MEP's time and, most importantly, of tax payer's money. Speaking today from Brussels Liz said:

"Next week will show just how redundant the Strasbourg Parliament is, and not only that, it will save a massive amount of money for the tax-payer.

"The only reason the two-seat of power system still exists is the stubbornness of the French Government, who have consistently vetoed efforts to abolish the Strasbourg trips. I urge the French, who currently hold the Presidency of the European Union, to abide by common sense and take steps to rid the EU of this massive financial burden.

"It is ludicrous situations like this that give the EU a bad name and prevent it from having the support it needs to fulfil its true goals of combating climate change and human rights abuses, creating a free, fair and open market within Europe, and being a driving force behind a more prosperous and just society."

ENDS

Notes:

• Liz is a member of the e-reform group that seeks a fair more accountable Parliament and an end to the Strasbourg Parliament. More information can be found at: http://www.ep-reform.eu/index.php

Statistics:

• Figures are based on 2007 estimates that the Strasbourg Parliament costs €203 million per year.

• 20 000 Tonne CO2 emissions come from 2007 report Professor John Whitelegg of York University.