European Parliament Agrees to Cut Itself Down

[questionmark]

European Parliament Agrees to Cut Itself Down to Size

The European Parliament gave its final approval Thursday to plans to cut itself down to size, effectively bringing to a close years of sometimes heated debate over the make-up of the increasingly influential assembly.

The Parliament agreed to reduce the number of its members (MEPs) from 785 to 750 ahead of elections in 2009. Italy, Britain and France are worst hit by the cuts.

The decision addresses concerns that the parliament, which at over 700 members is already one of the largest in the world, is too unwieldy. But it still leaves the door open for further debate if other countries join the 27-member bloc.

The enlargement of the EU from 15 to 27 members in the last three years has provoked a debate on the size of the Parliament and in June, EU leaders proposed that the number of MEPs be capped at 750 for the period 2009-14 and tasked MEPs with working out how to cut their own numbers down by 35.

EU powers see their numbers cut

After intensive wrangling, experts last week proposed wide-ranging cuts, with Italy set to lose six of its seats, the UK to lose five, France to lose four and Germany and Poland to lose three. And despite heated debates, the parliament voted to back the proposals by a solid majority of 378 to 154, with 109 abstentions.

But the agreement, which still has to be approved by EU governments, leaves serious questions over the fate of the parliament after the elections scheduled for 2014.

Under the agreement, the number of seats contested across the EU at election time should never top 750. Countries joining the EU in between elections would be allocated a temporary number of MEPs, but other member states would be expected to agree to further cuts so that the magic number of 750 would be kept at the next election.

Full story, Source: DW-world

[stevewinn]

I totally agree except they should make further cuts from 750 to 0, would save us all alot of money and headaches,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWSYMpuCFaQ

Nigel Farage, good speaker in the EU,

Edited October 13, 2007 by stevewinn

[ships-cat]

No no - don't cut down the European Parliament... cut down the European Commission. THAT is where all the stupid laws are coming from. (and where most of the money is spent).

Meow Purr.

[1.618]

No no - don't cut down the European Parliament... cut down the European Commission. THAT is where all the stupid laws are coming from. (and where most of the money is spent).

Meow Purr.

Correct me if i'm wrong. Aren't MEP's unelected?

Edited October 13, 2007 by 1.618

[ships-cat]

Correct me if i'm wrong. Aren't MEP's unelected?

MEP's are elected. Each country has a number of European electoral regions, each of which sends an MEP to Brussels. (or Strasbourg, depending on what time of year it is).

The EU Commission is unelected. Instead, commissionaires are appointed by the various national governments. As I understand it, the Commission makes all the laws and rules; the Parliament can vote 'yay or nay' to these, and can even propose it's own laws. (though this is rare). There is a third body as well - also appointed rather than elected - but I can't remember what it's called. (council of ministers ???).

No doubt Questionmark will shortly make an erudite post explaining how it all works. He's good that way.

P.S. Questionmark... whatever DID happen to your associate in Athens who failed to report on the earthquake ?

Meow Purr.

[questionmark]

MEP's are elected. Each country has a number of European electoral regions, each of which sends an MEP to Brussels. (or Strasbourg, depending on what time of year it is).

The EU Commission is unelected. Instead, commissionaires are appointed by the various national governments. As I understand it, the Commission makes all the laws and rules; the Parliament can vote 'yay or nay' to these, and can even propose it's own laws. (though this is rare). There is a third body as well - also appointed rather than elected - but I can't remember what it's called. (council of ministers ???).

No doubt Questionmark will shortly make an erudite post explaining how it all works. He's good that way.

P.S. Questionmark... whatever DID happen to your associate in Athens who failed to report on the earthquake ?

Meow Purr.

to the last question: It was not the earthquake, it was the drowned refugee thing. I decided to be a good guy....

Ok guys, how does the political Union work:

In Europe there are two type of relevant elections, your national election, relevant because the national government nominates the members of the European commission.

The others are the representatives of the citizens, elected directly by them, the members of parliament.

The first duty of the parliament is to ratify the commission, being able to give the nominees of the government the boot (individually and collectively).

The theory is that the parliament is the legislative, which means they make the laws, and the commission is the executive, that is those who put the laws in effect and supervises the implementation.

Both these bodies are supervised by the Council of ministers, who are the national ministers of every country.

So, how does a European law come into existence?

First it is drafted by members of parliament or the commission, then it is debated and amended in parliamentary session. Once it passes parliament it is put for approval to the council of ministers. If they agree it is send to the commission for implementation.

So you say, then I only get to vote for members of parliament, after that it is out of my control... not quite. The last instance in Europe are the European courts. If you feel your rights are being reduced by a law that passed all the above hurdles you can take a legal recurse against it.

[Bill Hill]

Thanks for that questionmark.

Conclusion- what a mess..

[questionmark]

Thanks for that questionmark.

Conclusion- what a mess..

Not so different then the UK form of government, two chambers of parliament and a government. The difference would be that the last authority is the second chamber of parliament.

ED:TYPO

Edited October 13, 2007 by questionmark

[Duality]

I totally agree except they should make further cuts from 750 to 0, would save us all alot of money and headaches,

I hate to admit it, but i agree with Steve.

[Moon Monkey]

Last years EU parliament budget was 1.322 billion euros, thats over 1.75 million euros for each MEP for travel,expenses and translation services for the 21 official languages. What a waste. Referendum now !!

[questionmark]

Last years EU parliament budget was 1.322 billion euros, thats over 1.75 million euros for each MEP for travel,expenses and translation services for the 21 official languages. What a waste. Referendum now !!

Which is less than 2.70 Euros per habitant of the EU and year, just show me another parliament that works that cheaply ....

[Moon Monkey]

Which is less than 2.70 Euros per habitant of the EU and year, just show me another parliament that works that cheaply ....

Actually thats just what the MEP's salaries and expenses cost per year, for 'turning up' and doing nothing, the actual budget of the European Parliament (2008) is 84 billion pounds or over 120 billion euro or over 235 euros per head (using their figures, 260+ using independent numbers), to do a job that each country's own government is currently already able to do. Why take 10 billion quid off the UK, give them back 5 billion to be used on projects that MEP's who are removed from the man in the street decide, give the other 5 billion to countries that don't even like us very much and whose citizens are able to work anywhere in the Eurozone anyway and charge us 1.75 million euro per MEP for the honour of allowing them to do this.

http://ec.europa.eu/budget/budget_glance/index_en.htm

Better IMO to keep the 5 billion, allocate it to our health service and use the other 5 billion on projects in asia and africa where the people don't have the right to simply come to the UK and work anyway and cut out the expensive middleman. That way everyone wins, we get plumbers and cleaners, they still get a huge cash input to their economies and the really poor around the world get 5 billion extra quid.

Edited October 14, 2007 by Moon Monkey