David Martin's EU Tribune

At the end of last month an overwhelming majority of MEPs voted to end the monthly trek from Brussels to Strasbourg. The sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg instead of Brussels was part of a protocol attached to the Treaty of Amsterdam (agreed by John Major as British Prime Minister) and decided on by the Governments of the EU, not MEPs. Meeting in Strasbourg was originally decided on for historic reasons, it representing reconciliation between France and Germany. A new enlarged Europe and end of Franco-German hostility has drawn attention to the totally unnecessary extra cost and carbon footprint caused by the monthly trip of MEPs from their usual place of work in Brussels to Strasbourg. All Labour MEPs were united on the issue and over a million signatures have been collected to the end “travelling circus”. MEPs have signed up to the ‘Single Seat’ campaign before the Elections for a president of the European Parliament in December.