Robert Sturdy's Strasbourg report – October 2011

 
After last month's double dose of Strasbourg, this month saw the calendar return to normal, with just the one long trip to the Alsatian capital. With the ongoing economic crisis in the EU, this session was all about budgets and bailouts.

First on the agenda was the budget. Ever since the Commission released its proposals for the EU's 2012 budget, Conservative politicians on both sides of the channel have been working hard to make sure that the shouts of more Europe and more money are met with equally loud demands for less waste and less expenditure.

While the member's states national governments represented through the Council have come around to the UK's viewpoint that the EU's budget should be cut, the Parliament has stood steadfast by its proposals to ask for more money.

In an attempt to bring the more free spending MEPs from the UK and the rest of Europe back to reality, Conservative MEPs tabled a number of amendments to limit the EU's budget and increase the efficiency of its spending. One such amendment proposed a reduction in interpretation within the Parliament that could save €27m. Also, unlike many of our colleagues, Conservative MEPs supported calls for a freeze in pay for MEPs and top officials.

However, politics in Europe is slightly different from in the UK, for while our Chancellor holds up the famous ministerial box, politicians in the European Parliament hold up the red balance sheet instead of the red box. This seems to symbolise the pushing of Europe's national governments further into debt as a result of the EU's constant demand for more money.

It was not surprising therefore that the Parliament voted on Wednesday by some 431 votes to 120, with 124 abstentions, for an increase in payments of 5.2% as compared to this year's budget, resulting in a budget of €133.1 billion. Needless to say that Conservative MEPs were very much in the 'against' camp. I find it ironic that while the word 'budget' in UK has come to mean the act of carefully controlling one's expenditure, on the other side of the English Channel it seems have become synonymous with flagrant spending.

EU bailout

Although taking place in Brussels, the Eurozone summit that took place on Wednesday evening was another central event of the week. This much hyped meeting was billed as a do or die moment for the euro. As news filtered through to MEPs from the summit in Brussels in the early hours of Thursday morning and the details of the deal became apparent, there was a change in atmosphere in the Parliament that brought a new meaning to the phrase debt relief.

Six hours after the deal was announced, MEPs gathered in the plenary chamber to comment on the previous night's event. Although there was a tinge of Eurozone euphoria in the air, many MEPs were sounding a note of caution by emphasising that the deal is only the first step and that much still needs to be done to exit the crisis.

I too was relieved when I heard the news. It is crucial for Britain that the Eurozone stabilises itself and returns to growth and prosperity – but I am not so sure that this deal will be the magic bullet that many people are making it out to be. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the world's markets and businesses in the coming days and weeks.

The Westminster vote

One cannot release a newsletter on the happening of European Parliament in Strasbourg without mentioning the events in Westminster. I have long been a proponent of the British people having a say on the UK's membership of the EU and I was somewhat disappointed with the outcome of the debate, especially when it seems that two thirds of the electorate support this notion. I am sure that this question will not go away and I will be interested to see how it develops in the future.

Contact Robert

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any enquiries of a European nature – I very much enjoy attending events and welcome any invitations.

       Robert Sturdy MEP

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                  Julia Smith – PA to Robert Sturdy
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