Italian MEP denounces EU 'madness' dictated by the ‘greedy French’
ITALIAN MEP Marco Campomenosi branded the relocation of the European Parliament to Strasbourg every month a “madness”, dictated by the “greedy” French, in an interview with Express.co.uk.
Every month, 736 MEPs and around 3000 officials and members of staff relocate from Brussels to Strasbourg. Around 25 trucks reportedly leave Belgium to make the 220-mile journey to the French Alsatian city. The fleet carries 4,000 trunks of office documents for MEPs, officials and interpreters.
The trip generates almost 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and costs around £175million of taxpayer’s money a year.
By EU treaty law, MEPs must sit for 12 weeks in Strasbourg a year meaning that buildings, purchased at a cost of £467 million in 2006, are unoccupied for nine months a year.
In an interview with Express.co.uk, Italian MEP Marco Campomenosi called for the seat to be scrapped.
He said: “It is madness.
“Madness dictated by the fact that the French, when they drafted the Treaty of Rome, demanded that the plenary sessions would take place in Strasbourg.
“A symbolic city between France and Germany.
In an interview with Express.co.uk, Italian MEP Marco Campomenosi called for the seat to be scrapped.
He said: “It is madness.
“Madness dictated by the fact that the French, when they drafted the Treaty of Rome, demanded that the plenary sessions would take place in Strasbourg.
“A symbolic city between France and Germany.
“The problem is that now the European Union has made its centre of interest Brussels, and moved to Belgium.
“So Strasbourg has become that place where this pilgrimage of parliamentarians and officials takes place… It costs around £175millions a year.
“It is an absurd waste.
“To scrap it, though, we need unanimity among members and France will never give up Strasbourg.”
It is not the first time the abolition of Strasbourg has been put forward by politicians and, in 2017, the European Parliament held its first ever debate on the subject.
During the session, many MEPs seemed to favour the idea, as they claimed travelling to Strasbourg once a month was a waste of time, money, and CO2 emissions.
However, as Mr Campomenosi mentioned, because Strasbourg is the official seat of the Parliament any change to its status would require a change in the EU's founding treaties by a unanimous decision of EU leaders in the European Council.
French President Emmanuel Macron appears to be determined to keep it in Strasbourg.
France’s EU affairs minister Nathalie Loiseau said following the debate that the European Parliament would not move from the city as it is a symbol of historic reconciliation between France and Germany after World War 2.
Ms Loiseau said: “The seat of the European Parliament is in Strasbourg because of the treaties, and for real reasons.
“We have never conceived the European Union as an entity that should only have a single capital, and a single place.”
Speaking to Express.co.uk, a spokesperson for the European Parliament said regarding the abolition of its Strasbourg seat: “It was the national governments of the EU's member states who unanimously decided in 1992 to lay down in the EU treaty where the EU institutions are officially seated.
“This decision had important consequences for the working arrangements for the Parliament: its official seat and the venue for most of the plenary sessions officially became Strasbourg.
"Parliamentary committees were to have their meetings in Brussels.
"Parliament's Secretariat would be officially based in Luxembourg.
“Any change in the current system would need changing the treaty, which requires unanimity among all member state governments and ratification by each of their national parliaments.”
The trip generates almost 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and costs around £175million of taxpayer’s money a year.
By EU treaty law, MEPs must sit for 12 weeks in Strasbourg a year meaning that buildings, purchased at a cost of £467 million in 2006, are unoccupied for nine months a year.
In an interview with Express.co.uk, Italian MEP Marco Campomenosi called for the seat to be scrapped.
He said: “It is madness.
“Madness dictated by the fact that the French, when they drafted the Treaty of Rome, demanded that the plenary sessions would take place in Strasbourg.
“A symbolic city between France and Germany.
In an interview with Express.co.uk, Italian MEP Marco Campomenosi called for the seat to be scrapped.
He said: “It is madness.
“Madness dictated by the fact that the French, when they drafted the Treaty of Rome, demanded that the plenary sessions would take place in Strasbourg.
“A symbolic city between France and Germany.
“The problem is that now the European Union has made its centre of interest Brussels, and moved to Belgium.
“So Strasbourg has become that place where this pilgrimage of parliamentarians and officials takes place… It costs around £175millions a year.
“It is an absurd waste.
“To scrap it, though, we need unanimity among members and France will never give up Strasbourg.”
It is not the first time the abolition of Strasbourg has been put forward by politicians and, in 2017, the European Parliament held its first ever debate on the subject.
During the session, many MEPs seemed to favour the idea, as they claimed travelling to Strasbourg once a month was a waste of time, money, and CO2 emissions.
However, as Mr Campomenosi mentioned, because Strasbourg is the official seat of the Parliament any change to its status would require a change in the EU's founding treaties by a unanimous decision of EU leaders in the European Council.
French President Emmanuel Macron appears to be determined to keep it in Strasbourg.
France’s EU affairs minister Nathalie Loiseau said following the debate that the European Parliament would not move from the city as it is a symbol of historic reconciliation between France and Germany after World War 2.
Ms Loiseau said: “The seat of the European Parliament is in Strasbourg because of the treaties, and for real reasons.
“We have never conceived the European Union as an entity that should only have a single capital, and a single place.”
Speaking to Express.co.uk, a spokesperson for the European Parliament said regarding the abolition of its Strasbourg seat: “It was the national governments of the EU's member states who unanimously decided in 1992 to lay down in the EU treaty where the EU institutions are officially seated.
“This decision had important consequences for the working arrangements for the Parliament: its official seat and the venue for most of the plenary sessions officially became Strasbourg.
"Parliamentary committees were to have their meetings in Brussels.
"Parliament's Secretariat would be officially based in Luxembourg.
“Any change in the current system would need changing the treaty, which requires unanimity among all member state governments and ratification by each of their national parliaments.”
