The 732 member European Parliament is an expensive talking-shop with a 2006 budget of €1.2 billion, equivalent to €1.67 million per member. In 2005, the Parliament likely headed the global rankings for overseas parliamentatry "fact-finding" missions or junkets, with almost one for every week. Language interpretation costs more than €1 million each week, which is a service that is more often requested than used according to the European Commission, may seem only a drop in a €1 billion language translation bucket or budget, in the European Union.

European Parliament President Josep Borrell

Figures from the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission report published in July 2005 forecasts a per capita cost of €489,000 for the 216 membership Oireachtas in 2006. Last June, Lord McKenzie of Luton told the House of Lords that the per capita cost of members of the House of Commons was £489,000 (€709,000) and members of the House of Lords £131,000 (€190,000).

In December, 30 MEPs flew to Hong Kong to monitor progress in the Doha trade talks, where they demanded almost daily updates from Peter Mandelson, EU Trade Commissioner, despite the fact that as parliamentarians they had no role in the negotiations. The total of trips by official parliamentary delegations in 2005 was 43. Three Irish Ministers brought an entourage of 21 civil servants to the same meeting.

On Thursday, the Parliament's president said that MEPs should spend less time travelling the world and more attending key votes in order to raise the credibility of an institution that has long suffered from a reputation as a "gravy train."

Josep (Catalan version of José) Borrell said the low turnout of legislators in Strasbourg was "an occasional embarrassment to parliament and erodes its credibility in the eyes of the electorate''.

However, it was reported that Borrell's call for reform, received a very frosty response from parliamentary group leaders and immediately sparked a row over whether the Spanish president was simply trying to grab the limelight as a reformist.

MEPs travel weekly from their constituencies to Brussels or Strasbourg. They spend two weeks every month on committee work in Brussels. Another week is set aside for meetings of the political groups, (also usually held in Brussels) and a further week is spent each month at the plenary sessions in Strasbourg. Parliament also holds additional plenary sittings in Brussels.

Next week, at the March plenary session, ahead of the football World Cup in Germany, the Parliament will be debating ways to combat forced prostitution and human trafficking, which often increase at the time of major sporting events

At February's plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs applauded their almost unanimous decision to demand the closure of the US prison camp in Guantánamo Bay. However, only 82 of the 732 MEPs attended the vote.

In January, European Commission President José Manuel Borroso, complained to Borrell after having to present his 2006 work programme in front of a chamber that contained more representatives from his 25 member executives than MEPs.

To address the low turnout at plenary meetings, Borrell suggests some timetable reorganisation but not more drastic steps, such as fining MEPs who fail to attend key meetings. In his reform plan, Borrell questions the need for extensive travel, suggesting that MEPs should only attend international meetings where they can make "a genuine contribution".

An irrelevant institution?

The first elections to the Parliament by direct universal suffrage, were held on 10 June 1979 with the expectation that voters in the European Union would feel they would have a closer connection with operations at European level. However, the European Parliament has less relevance to Europeans than local councils. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is irrelevant to most Europeans.

Voter turnout 1979 and 2004 in the EU-

Source: Euractiv.com :Division of power in the EP (2004-2009)

Voter turnout in the last European Parliament elections in 2004 has followed the downward trend experienced since 1979. This represents a participation figure of 45.5 per cent for the EU as a whole, with a participation 47.1 per cent per cent in the EU-15 and of 26.4 per cent of eligible voters in the new Member States.

The figures suggest that the EP elections have triggered significantly less interest in the new Member States than in the EU-25. Participation was the lowest in Slovakia with 16.96 per cent. The voter turnout was highest in Malta with 82 per cent.

The European Parliament is not going to be given a tax-raising power, which is the key power that a parliament has.

On the other hand, countries that pay the bills, will not hand over billions to be split up by the majority in the Parliament that represent the recipients.

MEPs often blame the media for the low public interest but if many of them are more interested in junketeering, than attending meetings of the Parliament, the question needs to be asked if the end of a €1.2 billion black hole, would be a blessing for Europeans?

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT BUDGET 

Title 1 — PERSONS WORKING WITH THE INSTITUTION

Title Chapter	Heading	Appropriations 2006	Appropriations 2005	Outturn 2004
1 0	MEMBERS OF THE INSTITUTION	138 974 540	148 618 744	119 394 040,74
1 2	OFFICIALS AND TEMPORARY STAFF	477 005 583	445 522 810	362 400 969,58
1 4	OTHER STAFF AND OUTSIDE SERVICES	81 954 606	72 000 807	79 021 824,36
1 6	OTHER EXPENDITURE RELATING TO PERSONS WORKING WITH THE INSTITUTION	13 598 308	11 887 679	8 274 845,30
	Title 1 — Total	711 533 037	678 030 040	569 091 679,98

Title 2 — BUILDINGS, FURNITURE, EQUIPMENT AND MISCELLANEOUS OPERATING EXPENDITURE

Title Chapter	Heading	Appropriations 2006	Appropriations 2005	Outturn 2004
2 0	BUILDINGS AND ASSOCIATED COSTS	142 095 108	195 395 912	300 328 043,38
2 1	DATA PROCESSING, EQUIPMENT AND FURNITURE: PURCHASE, HIRE AND MAINTENANCE	98 084 007	91 322 612	85 630 805,16
2 3	CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE	15 272 220	15 251 000	13 236 847,37
	Title 2 — Total	255 451 335	301 969 524	399 195 695,91

Title 3 — EXPENDITURE RESULTING FROM GENERAL FUNCTIONS CARRIED OUT BY THE INSTITUTION

Title Chapter	Heading	Appropriations 2006	Appropriations 2005	Outturn 2004
3 0	MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES	27 164 435	23 065 200	19 341 634,14
3 2	EXPERTISE AND INFORMATION: ACQUISITION, ARCHIVING, PRODUCTION AND DISSEMINATION	65 908 800	59 851 800	50 644 273,41
	Title 3 — Total	93 073 235	82 917 000	69 985 907,55

Title 4 — EXPENDITURE RESULTING FROM SPECIAL FUNCTIONS CARRIED OUT BY THE INSTITUTION

Title Chapter	Heading	Appropriations 2006	Appropriations 2005	Outturn 2004
4 0	EXPENDITURE RELATING TO CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES	58 216 000	54 300 000	47 162 816,87
4 2	EXPENDITURE RELATING TO PARLIAMENTARY ASSISTANCE	136 289 000	116 291 540	117 777 431,55
4 4	MEETINGS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES OF CURRENT AND FORMER MEMBERS	180 000	80 000	156 539,82
	Title 4 — Total	194 685 000	170 671 540	165 096 788,24

Title 10 — OTHER EXPENDITURE

Title Chapter	Heading	Appropriations 2006	Appropriations 2005	Outturn 2004
10 0	PROVISIONAL APPROPRIATIONS	33 681 580	18 436 618	0,—
10 1	CONTINGENCY RESERVE	13 175 813	12 000 000	0,—
10 2	RESERVE FOR THE STATUTE FOR MEMBERS	p.m.	p.m.	0,—
10 3	ENLARGEMENT RESERVE	p.m.	p.m.	0,—
10 4	Reserve for information and communication policy	20 000 000
	Title 10 — Total	66 857 393	30 436 618	0,—