Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-03-15-Speech-4-220"
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"en.20010315.12.4-220"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, I fully agree with what Mr Onesta has just said. For too long now our parliamentary assistants have worked without being protected by a statute. Although the vast majority of Members of Parliament have guaranteed them correct working and salary conditions, it must be acknowledged that the practices of a number of our colleagues has somewhat tarnished the image of the European Parliament. The lack of control and transparency in the management of secretarial allowances paved the way for abuse. And, as Jacques Loyau, President of the Association of Assistants, deplored at the time, in the absence of a safeguard, everything was possible and there were considerable disparities.
A survey carried out by the Association of Assistants more than a year ago highlighted a worrying situation. Fourteen per cent did not have a contract of employment; 12% had only external consultant contracts, even though they worked full time, and 53% did not have any social cover or accident insurance. This survey served as the basis for the action taken by the parliamentary assistants and their Association, which our group supported from its beginnings. Some initial results were obtained within the European Parliament with the adoption, by the Bureau, of the amendment to Article 14 of the rules on the costs and allowances of Members of Parliament. As our President, Nicole Fontaine, stressed at the time that the matter of the assistants had made significant and concrete headway and that the transitory measures which had been adopted reflected the will and determination of the European Parliament to move towards greater transparency and fairness in this area..
These measures, which came into force on 1 January this year, have indeed enabled us to strengthen our control over the use of the secretarial allowance and to guarantee each assistant a contract of employment, health insurance and occupation accident insurance. This progress, which has been made thanks to the perseverance of the Association of Assistants and to the efficient work of our Vice-President, Gérard Onesta, served as a base for our negations with the Council. However, as we have heard, for months now, despite our best efforts, this matter seems to have been deadlocked. I am therefore very interested to hear that an agreement has been reached in principle between the Commission and the European Parliament to amend the free movement of workers regulation along the lines the assistants would like to see. I welcome this. It seems that the way is now clear for us to be able to move forwards very soon towards a European statute whereby, in the words Parliament chose in its opinion of 11 March 1999, assistants are treated equally and in accordance with the work they carry out."@en1
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