Quick A- Z of MEPs' duties and obligations
You elect them, but what are their rights and duties as MEPs?
With less than 4 weeks to go before the June European elections we have
put together a quick A-Z of the rights and obligations of the Members
you elect. It contains some things you should bear in mind when you are
deciding who and which party to vote for as well as if you want to
stand yourself as a candidate if it's not too late!
A - Attendance: MEPs are not forced to attend debates or meetings. However, certain allowances are withheld if they do not attend at least half of all plenary sessions.
B - Brussels: This is where two-day sittings of the House take place as well as many committee and political group meetings.
C - Compatibility: If you are an MEP you can't also be an MP, a European Commissioner or a European Court of Justice judge among others, so check out which posts are incompatible with being an MEP.
C - Convicted: If convicted of a criminal offence MEPs may be barred, but this depends on national rules.
C - Conflict of interest: If an MEP has a financial interest in something under debate in the EP, they can speak, but they have to declare their interest. They also have to declare an interest if appointed to draft a report for a committee.
D - Dual mandates: Unlike in the past you can't be a member of a national parliament and the EP. This affects some members of the UK House of Lords who are currently MEPs.
E - Expenses: Expenses include the reimbursement of costs for travel to and from Parliament, living expenses while away from home and office expenditure in members' constituencies. MEPs also receive allowances to cover the resources needed to do their job effectively, most notably a "parliamentary assistance allowance" used for the employment of a small personal staff, acting as parliamentary assistants, researchers, policy advisers and secretaries.
E - Eligibility: To stand for election you must be a national of one of the 27 EU countries, but you can stand in a country other than your own, for example former Finnish world rally champion Ari Vatanen represents a constituency in France.
F - Financial interests: Before new Members can take up their post they have to complete a detailed personal declaration on financial interests. This is then posted on the Parliament's website.
I - Independence: Members "shall not be bound by any instructions and shall not receive a binding mandate for example from their Member State or from any private person."
I - Immunity: MEPs cannot be investigated, detained or have legal action taken against them in respect of opinions they express or votes cast when an MEP. However, if a Member is caught in the act of committing an offence, they cannot claim immunity.
M - Misbehaviour: The President of the Parliament is allowed to take financial sanctions against MEPs who misbehave or disrupt the sitting.
N - National appointments: Many MEPs are members of parties that win general elections and are then called home to take on ministerial posts. During the current term for example, Alexander Stubb left to become Finland's foreign Minister and Cecilia Malmström became Sweden's Europe Minister. In 2006 Estonian MEP Toomas Hendrik Ilves departed to Tallinn to become President of his country.
S - Salaries: Until now MEPs got the same salary as national MPs in their countries and payment was made by the national government. So for example in 2005 a Hungarian MEP's gross monthly salary would have been under €1,000 whilst a German MEP would have received around €7,000. From mid 2009 with the election of a new Parliament and the start of a new legislature, MEPs will receive a flat rate salary of around €7,000 a month paid for by the EU.
A - Attendance: MEPs are not forced to attend debates or meetings. However, certain allowances are withheld if they do not attend at least half of all plenary sessions.
B - Brussels: This is where two-day sittings of the House take place as well as many committee and political group meetings.
C - Compatibility: If you are an MEP you can't also be an MP, a European Commissioner or a European Court of Justice judge among others, so check out which posts are incompatible with being an MEP.
C - Convicted: If convicted of a criminal offence MEPs may be barred, but this depends on national rules.
C - Conflict of interest: If an MEP has a financial interest in something under debate in the EP, they can speak, but they have to declare their interest. They also have to declare an interest if appointed to draft a report for a committee.
D - Dual mandates: Unlike in the past you can't be a member of a national parliament and the EP. This affects some members of the UK House of Lords who are currently MEPs.
E - Expenses: Expenses include the reimbursement of costs for travel to and from Parliament, living expenses while away from home and office expenditure in members' constituencies. MEPs also receive allowances to cover the resources needed to do their job effectively, most notably a "parliamentary assistance allowance" used for the employment of a small personal staff, acting as parliamentary assistants, researchers, policy advisers and secretaries.
E - Eligibility: To stand for election you must be a national of one of the 27 EU countries, but you can stand in a country other than your own, for example former Finnish world rally champion Ari Vatanen represents a constituency in France.
F - Financial interests: Before new Members can take up their post they have to complete a detailed personal declaration on financial interests. This is then posted on the Parliament's website.
I - Independence: Members "shall not be bound by any instructions and shall not receive a binding mandate for example from their Member State or from any private person."
I - Immunity: MEPs cannot be investigated, detained or have legal action taken against them in respect of opinions they express or votes cast when an MEP. However, if a Member is caught in the act of committing an offence, they cannot claim immunity.
M - Misbehaviour: The President of the Parliament is allowed to take financial sanctions against MEPs who misbehave or disrupt the sitting.
N - National appointments: Many MEPs are members of parties that win general elections and are then called home to take on ministerial posts. During the current term for example, Alexander Stubb left to become Finland's foreign Minister and Cecilia Malmström became Sweden's Europe Minister. In 2006 Estonian MEP Toomas Hendrik Ilves departed to Tallinn to become President of his country.
S - Salaries: Until now MEPs got the same salary as national MPs in their countries and payment was made by the national government. So for example in 2005 a Hungarian MEP's gross monthly salary would have been under €1,000 whilst a German MEP would have received around €7,000. From mid 2009 with the election of a new Parliament and the start of a new legislature, MEPs will receive a flat rate salary of around €7,000 a month paid for by the EU.
