EU summit: Leaders to avoid Strasbourg controversy

Attempts by Josep Borrell to raise the issue of the Strasbourg seat at the Brussels summit have been quashed by the Austrian EU presidency.

Last May, under pressure from MEPs, the European parliament president sent a letter to the Austrians asking for the issue to be put on the agenda.

In it, he asked “if there were any intent to modify current provisions” of EU treaties to allow MEPs to decide where to sit, rather than leaving the decision to member states.

But Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel made it clear in his reply to Borrell that there was no chance of a unanimous decision from EU leaders, since, not surprisingly, France is opposed to any change.

Borrell has agreed not to raise the issue after consulting the leaders of parliament’s political groups.

There is considerable support for scrapping the Strasbourg seat, with an online petition by Swedish MEP Cecilia Malstrom garnering more than half a million signatures.

Support is particularly strong among Dutch voters, and Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende signalled he was prepared to back Borrell at the summit if the issue were raised.

There is also support from the European commission, with vice-president Margot Wallström writing in her blog that “it ought to be up to the European parliament to decide where to meet”.

“One can understand and respect the historical background for choosing Strasbourg as the location for the European parliament, but today the practical problems – and costs – connected with having two sites are overshadowing the symbolic value.”

But she believes there will be no appetite for discussing changes to the current system until after the French presidential elections in May.

“Maybe with a new French president constructive discussions can start about compensation should parliament decide to meet only in Brussels in the future.”

But there is still strong support for the Strasbourg seat among French politicians.

Former EU commissioner Michel Barnier, who is an advisor to French presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy, recently told TheParliament.com that Strasbourg’s status should be maintained.

“Strasbourg must remain a European capital. I do not think housing the European institute of technology there would have the same status,” Barnier said.

Some MEPs have suggested housing the future EIT in the parliament buildings in Strasbourg, while others have suggested switching the quarterly summit meetings from Brussels to Strasbourg.

“If there are to be questions over the future of the European parliament, they cannot be linked to dubious accusations against the Strasbourg authorities,” Barnier added, referring to claims that the city’s administration has over-charged parliament for the rental of its buildings.

With EU leaders now all but certain not to discuss the Strasbourg issue, some MEPs have questioned the need for a summit meeting at all – especially as debates on transparency and the EU constitution are also expected to end in stalemate.

“There are so many urgent issues that ought to be on the agenda and it amounts to negligence on behalf of the Austrian presidency our leaders are not holding the discussions they should,” said UK Conservative MEP Richard Ashworth.

“EU leaders were given an opportunity to demonstrate that they were listening to public concerns about the EU. They could have at least tried to come to some agreement on the future of the Strasbourg parliament - particularly seeing as the online petition is now well past the half a million signatures mark and climbing.”

Ashworth questioned whether the summit was worth the huge cost of transporting heads of state and officials, providing round-the-clock protection and forcing journalists to work when they would much rather be watching the World Cup.

“It has even been reported that Tony Blair will take time out to watch the England match this evening.”

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