By Martin Banks - 13th February 2008
Parliament’s controversial Strasbourg building is to get an extension, at an estimated cost of €680,000.
The decision has been condemned by one UK MEP who has branded it a “waste of money”.
Martin Callanan, Conservative MEP for north-east England, says the building already stands empty for more than 300 days of the year.
“What possible justification, therefore, can there be for wasting yet more money on this building?” he asked.
He said the extension to the building’s main canteen followed complaints that people could not find a seat at meal times.
He said, “There is a capacity issue but the cost of building work to enlarge the canteen will be paid for by the taxpayer. The extension will be put up less than 10 years after the parliament building was constructed.”
British MEPs from all political parties have called on the sessions at Strasbourg to be scrapped and for all parliamentary activities to take place in Brussels.
They claim the monthly trek to Strasbourg costs taxpayers over €200 million a year and is responsible for the emission of 90,000 tonnes of CO2.
Callanan said, "Instead of extending the site at Strasbourg we should be abandoning it.
"There's no justification for this expense. It's being done just to keep the eurocrats happy.
"The Strasbourg sessions are a huge waste of money and damaging to the environment.
"This indicates that despite the fact that most MEPs want to scrap the Strasbourg sessions the EU is once again totally oblivious to reason.
"This sends out completely the wrong message.
"It's an insult to British taxpayers."
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