Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-06-02-Speech-1-080"
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"en.20030602.6.1-080"2
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"Mr President, the new rule the Bureau adopted last week stipulates that only travel costs actually incurred will be reimbursed. That is good news, and is also largely thanks to you. There is a fly in the ointment, however. The new rules will only enter into force when the Statute does. The chance of that ever happening is very small. The draft Statute provides for a common salary for all MEPs, but the proposal also stipulates that MEPs will pay European income tax from now on. That is unacceptable to many Members, myself included. I live in the Netherlands, I was elected by Dutch people, I use Dutch public services, and I therefore wish to pay Dutch taxes.
Two years ago, there was a consensus on that point between the Council and Parliament. Member States would be given the freedom to supplement European taxes with national taxation. The rapporteur has swept that compromise off the table, however. Thus, the proposal does not stand a ghost of a chance, and everyone in this Chamber knows that. Last week’s decision by the Bureau will not enter into force, therefore, and we will be back to square one.
At a time in which budgets are under pressure and citizens are having to tighten their belts, we are opting to live it up, with outdated expenses rules. Although it may have been naïve of me to think that it would indeed be possible and that the political will existed, I sincerely hoped that within my own group, of all groups, a majority would opt in favour of the public interest and against self-interest. Unfortunately, that is not the case."@en1
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