Policy Focus

Roof collapse prompts renewed calls for one EU parliament

MEPs are again calling for an end to the European parliament’s "travelling circus" to Strasbourg after the recent collapse of part of the parliament building's ceiling.

The hemicycle ceiling partly collapsed on August 7, and has forced parliament's first post-recess plenary session to be held in Brussels.

ALDE deputy Sarah Ludford said, "The building has the right idea in saving MEPs from the outrageously expensive travelling circus.

"The roof falling in on Strasbourg should be made a permanent feature of the European parliament, in favour of a settled Brussels venue."

Writing in the Times on Monday, EPP-ED deputy Robert Sturdy argued that the ceiling collapse should act as a timely reminder "to stop throwing away good money after bad".

"MEPs will now have to meet in Brussels next month instead of their Strasbourg parliamentary building as planned, so that essential repairs can be carried out," he said.

"And I suggest we keep it that way, instead of continuing with a farcical and costly 'travelling circus', forcing MEPs and staff to leave their offices and meet up hundreds of miles away — just to appease French protocol."

According to parliament’s secretary general Harold Rømer, "preliminary enquiries have revealed that the partial collapse of the ceiling results from the breaking of the parts holding the inserted ceiling which connects it with the actual structure of the ceiling".

He said that the cost of repairing the damage would be covered by the building’s insurance and would not come out of the parliamentary budget.

British Tory MEP Struan Stevenson writing in the Herald said, "This latest disaster to hit the Strasbourg parliament must surely sound the death knell for the ongoing farce which forces Europe's 785 MEPs and around 4000 staff to decant from Brussels once a month and make the 300-mile trip to Strasbourg, only to return again to Brussels four days later."

All three MEPs called on member states to take action to end the monthly trips, estimated to cost EU taxpayers’ more than €200m a year.

"MEPs have a perfectly adequate parliament building in Brussels,” argued Stevenson.

"It is only French pride and prejudice which forces us to make the monthly trip to Strasbourg 12 times each year.

"France routinely uses its veto in the Council of Ministers to block any attempt to centralise all of our work in Brussels.

"Now the ceiling has literally caved in on this French farce. Hopefully the hole in the roof will allow a little light to fall on any future debate on whether to abandon Strasbourg once and for all."

Sarah Ludford added, "The delicious irony is that the French government, the builder of the grandiose Strasbourg edifice, once took MEPs to the European court for a breach of EU law in failing to meet 12 times a year in Strasbourg.

"By way of apology they should now save taxpayers' money by lifting their absurd veto on Brussels."

Gary Titley, UK labour group leader in the parliament, told the BBC that "this monthly charade…should be reviewed and stopped".

"The parliament having to divide its time between Brussels and Strasbourg makes it less efficient and open to ridicule by voters, who cannot understand that this makes sense at all," he added.

Also speaking last week to the BBC, ALDE deputy Chris Davies attacked what he called "the nonsense of the parliament's perpetual momentum" and added, "We should turn catastrophe into opportunity and meet continuously in Brussels."

Parliament officials said they were confident that reconstruction work on the roof of the Strasbourg chamber will be completed before the second plenary session after the summer break, scheduled to begin on 22 September.