JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

3 December 2002

pursuant to Rule 42(5) of the Rules of Procedure by

• –Graham R. Watson and Diana Wallis on behalf of the ELDR Group
• –Heidi Anneli Hautala and Neil MacCormick on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
• –Francis Wurtz on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
• –Michiel van Hulten and Bill Miller

replacing the motions by the following groups:

• –ELDR (B5‑0620/2002),
• –Verts/ALE (B5‑0621/2002),
• –GUE/NGL (B5‑0622/2002),

on the Statute for Members of the European Parliament

European Parliament resolution on the Statute for Members of the European Parliament

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Council declaration and the progress achieved to arrive at an agreement on the Statute for Members,

-  having regard to Article 190(5) of the EC Treaty,

-  having regard to the recommendation of the Group of Eminent Persons on the Statute for Members,

-  having regard to its Rules of Procedure, and in particular Rules 42(5) and 163(2),

A.  whereas the recommendation of the Group of Eminent Persons on the Statute for Members puts forward implicitly the principle of equality and explicitly the principles of transparency, comparability and no hidden income as fundamental principles on which the Statute for Members must be based,

B.  whereas, under the Belgian Presidency, the Council reached a political agreement on the taxation of the parliamentary allowance,

1.  Reaffirms the need to define and apply a single Statute for Members of the European Parliament;

2.  Urges the Council and Parliament to adopt a common Statute for Members of the European Parliament in good time before the 2004 elections in order to ensure equal treatment for all Members and transparency as regards their allowances, and to enter into a dialogue as soon as possible;

3.  Affirms that the following principles should be embodied in the Statute for Members and related instruments or practices regulating the various allowances for essential expenses that are available to MEPs:

• •there should be no hidden remuneration;
• •there should be transparency in any system for remuneration, for pensions and for allowances to cover necessary expenses;
• •the system should be readily comprehensible;

4.  Calls on its competent committee to present a definitive draft Statute on the basis of the work already undertaken by the committee and its President's exploratory talks with the Member States, which can be adopted by the European Parliament with the approval of the Council acting unanimously;

5.  Calls on the Bureau immediately to prepare rules on the reimbursement of actual expenses, which should enter into force simultaneously with the Statute for Members;

6.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the parliaments and governments of the Member States.