The European Parliament last week (6 April) adopted a report setting out the estimates for its budget for 2012. While the Greens welcomed MEPs’ support for trimming back the originally proposed budget, they criticised the majority of MEPs for opposing amendments which would have frozen MEP allowances in 2012 and ended business class flights for MEPs for flights of less than 4 hours.

Speaking after the vote, Keith said:

“Alongside my Green colleagues, we welcomed the decision by MEPs to trim the European Parliament’s 2012 budget estimates below the rate of inflation and the rejection of a proposal to divert unused funds for spending on buildings.

“However, we regret that MEPs lacked the will to introduce real savings. Rather than leading by example and exercising restraint on their own allowances, a majority of MEPs seem oblivious to the events happening in their home countries. It is despicable that amendments supported by the Greens which would have frozen MEP allowances for 2012 were rejected by the majority of MEPs.

“We are also disappointed by the failure of parliament to support an amendment aimed at ending business class flights for MEPs for flights of less than 4 hours. This small but simple measure could have saved millions of Euros each year. This decision just reflects the way that many MEPs are divorced from budgetary reality.”