Open Europe press summary: 2 June 2009

Europe

Retiring UK MEPs to share £20 million payoff;
Three are accused of misusing public money
The front page of the Times reports that 22 British MEPs, retiring after the European elections this week, will receive a £20 million payoff in pensions and benefits. Each will be paid up to two years' salary to help them to 'adjust' to their new lives and will share a £10 million index-linked pension pot.

The paper also reports that, of those 22 MEPs, three politicians are accused of misusing public money: Den Dover, Ashley Mote and Tom Wise. All will receive a "transition payment" of over £30,000, up to £55,000 to close their offices and layoff staff, and pensions worth between £175,000 and £235,000.

17 retiring MEPs, including those accused of misusing public funds, are also members of the European Parliament's lucrative and controversial second pension scheme. The scheme allows MEPs to have an additional pension pot of up to £209,000 per five-year term, which they can begin drawing on when they reach 63. MEPs contribute one third, which is deducted from their office expenses, with the other two thirds coming from the EU budget. Members are supposed to reimburse their office allowances, but many MEPs have refused to prove that they have done so.

Open Europe's Mats Persson is quoted saying, "It is scandalous that MEPs are receiving this level of pay-offs. If you go into public office you should not be there for making money." Mats also appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning, discussing the pensions and payoffs for MEPs, saying there are "no sanctions in place for MEPs who are found guilty of wrongdoing involving taxpayers' money."

Meanwhile, writing on the Guardian's Comment is Free website, Dermot Scott, Head of the UK office of the European Parliament, argues that using the controversy of MPs' expenses to criticise the expenses and conduct of MEPs is "opportunistic and unfair".
Times Times 2 Australian Open Europe press release Open Europe Blog Open Europe Blog 2 Comment is Free: Scott Mail BBC Radio 5

Open Europe's Mats Persson appeared on the BBC Daily Politics show yesterday, discussing Open Europe's transparency league table of MEPs.
Daily Politics Open Europe press release

Conservatives to publish bill calling for referendum on Lisbon Treaty
PA reports that Conservative leader David Cameron called today for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, as part of efforts to restore trust in the political system following the scandal over MPs' expenses. On the BBC Today programme, Mr Cameron said that "We are today publishing a bill that could go through Parliament right now to allow us to hold a referendum on the European Constitution that everyone promised, particularly the Prime Minister, and we could hold it on the same day as the Irish referendum."

He went on to talk about the Conservatives' decision to form a new grouping in the EP: "One of the main reasons for leaving the EPP and forming this new group, is it will bring to European politics a centre-right group of parties that are committed to reforming Europe and changing Europe."

Writing in the Guardian, Foreign Secretary David Miliband argues that, "The EU needs support and reform through engagement. That is Labour's offer. The Tories offer an attack plan on Europe and retreat for Britain. It is dangerous for Britain and bad for Europe. The proposals are Europhobia masked as radicalism. No one should be fooled."
Today programme Guardian: Miliband Telegraph EurActiv

Government appoints 'Euro minister' in each department
The front page of the Express reports that the Government has revealed that detailed talks have taken place in Whitehall departments about what they would have to do if Britain joined the euro. They include explaining to the public how the move would affect their council tax and business-rate bills and how the BBC would pay for the £10 million cost of changing the TV licence fee to Euros. Each department now has a special minister in charge of the 'changeover plans'.

Open Europe's Lorraine Mullally is quoted saying: "There is virtually no appetite in Britain for the Euro, especially at the moment as many Eurozone countries come under severe pressure in the recession. So it's extraordinary that the Government has been busy working behind the scenes to secretly prepare Britain's entry. When President Barroso said 'the people who matter in Britain are currently thinking about' joining the Euro, he certainly wasn't talking about the British people. He was talking about Gordon Brown and his team of 'Euro ministers'."

The paper also reports on a ComRes poll for the TaxPayers' Alliance which reveals that just 28 per cent of the public think Britain should join the Euro, with 68 per cent opposing the move. The poll also found that while 88 percent of voters want a referendum before giving the EU significant new powers, only half of MEPs do.
Express Guido Fawkes blog Taxpayers' Alliance

German Constitutional Court likely to approve Lisbon Treaty on 30 JuneAccording to FAZ, Germany's Constitutional Court will publish its judgement on whether the Lisbon Treaty is compatible with the German constitution on 30 June. It suggests that the Court will give the green light to the Treaty, noting that "the message would be that it is political madness to let the Treaty of Lisbon fail."FAZ EUobserver

Suspected Bulgarian criminals seek shelter from prosecution as MEP candidates
Suspected Bulgarian criminals have found a way to avoid prosecution by announcing themselves as MEP candidates, EurActiv reports. Several 'businessmen' known to the Bulgarian judiciary have registered as candidate MEPs because Bulgarian law provides candidate legislators with immunity from prosecution.

On 27 May, a Sofia court interrupted the prosecution of Alexander Tomov, indicted for embezzling some €18 million and for falsifying documents, following his registration at the head of the list of his own 'Bulgarian Social Democracy' party.
EurActiv

German State Secretary: "farm subsidies should remain as high as possible"
EUobserver reports that the upcoming Swedish Presidency of the EU has repeated its intention for reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, with Swedish Agriculture Minister Eskil Erlandsson saying that "the Swedish government holds that the share of the common agricultural policy in the whole EU budget has to be decreased" adding "we'll concentrate on the second pillar [of the common agricultural policy] (rural development), how we can promote the countryside and rural areas, and how to ensure a fair distribution of cash between countries." Handelsblatt quotes German State Secretary Gert Lindemann, saying the German government opposes the Swedish plans, and that "farmer subsidies should remain as high as possible".
EUobserver

Austria joins up with Germany and Poland in asylum policy
Austria has joined up with Germany and Poland to oppose the EU's asylum package, due to be discussed on Thursday. Die Presse reports that Austrian Interior Minister Maria Fekter has said that Austria has competence and its own laws in asylum policy, so the proposed legislation would run counter to the principle of subsidiarity.
Die Presse

Lack of 'politics' in the EP blamed for expected apathy at European elections
A leader in the FT argues "the European parliament matters. However opaque its operations, it has genuine and growing powers" but notes that, "Thirty years after they first won the right to elect their MEPs, most Europeans still do not know who they are or what they do."

EUobserver notes that a recent TNS survey found that the number of citizens who are certain to vote in some member states - such as the UK, Latvia, Bulgaria and Poland - is only around 15 percent.

Writing in the FT, Quentin Peel looks at the socialist group in the European Parliament, the PES, and notes that, "Its European manifesto is turgid and unreadable. The party has not even tried to put up an alternative candidate to challenge José Manuel Barroso, the centre-right European Commission president". He adds that "European politics are simply not political enough."
Independent EUobserver Guardian: Toynbee Guardian: Leader Spectator: Coffee House blog FT: Peel FT: Leader FT

Europe's secretive approach to bank 'stress tests' prolonging recession
The FT reports that the reluctance of European governments to conduct harmonised 'stress tests' of their banks and publish the results is delaying economic recovery on the continent, economists have warned. Members of the French Council of Economic Analysis and the German Council of Economic Experts say the secretive approach to stress tests adopted in Europe so far, in comparison to the US, threatens to defeat the purpose of the exercise.
FT FT: Pisani-Ferry and di Mauro

The EU Office of Publications has set up a directory of all EU legislation in preparation.
Directory of EU Legislation in preparation EU law blog

Juncker rules himself out as Commission President
Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker is seen as an alternative candidate for the next President of the Commission, should Jose Manuel Barroso not obtain a majority in the European Parliament, according to AFP. However, Juncker has dismissed the possibility, saying "I say it loud and clear: no, I will not do it".
Yahoo News

Britain and other EU countries sold military equipment worth millions of pounds to the Sri Lankan government in the last three years of its conflict with the Tamil Tigers, the Times reports.
Times

The IHT notes that Angela Merkel's CDU party has toned down its opposition to Turkish EU membership for the upcoming EP elections in an effort to avoid antagonising the large Turkish minority living in Germany which is eligible to vote.
IHT

The Irish Times notes that the economic crisis has caused numerous national papers and global news agencies to scale down their coverage of EU affairs.
Irish Times

Writing in the WSJ, Fredrik Erixon argues that the lack of a single energy market in the EU allows Russia to 'divide and rule' Europe, which will become increasingly dependent on supplies of Russian gas.
WSJ: Erixon

UK

Speculation is growing that Alistair Darling will be replaced as Chancellor, after he was forced into an apology for mistakes made on his expenses claims.
Times Guardian

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